A Pizza Tale

A long time ago, there was this great pizzeria in Aberdeen, South Dakota, named Lu's Pizza. My mom, dad, & I (and maybe Amanda when she was really little) ate there every time we went to Aberdeen. As my dad says, they watched me grow up.
They really did. The kind of pizza we ordered differed, but the thin crust delicacy was always placed on our table on a pedestal. It was always cut in squares, but still, amazingly, still had a "corner" piece. This tiny crispy outer piece was the best. All I knew of Pizza Hut was from TV commercials. Lu's was the place for us.
Somewhere in my childhood, my aunt, (who I will call . . . Cindy), came along and she loved Hawaiian Pizza. I would get so angry when she was visiting and we would have to have pizza with pineapple on it. It was a waste of a good Lu's pizza experience if I ever had one.
But, then my taste buds matured and, sure enough, I also became a Hawaiian Pizza connoisseur. Now my kids, even picky Nathan, like it, too.
As I was paging through a cookbook last week, I found an interesting recipe. It was called Hawaiian Pizza Pasta. I bought the ingredients right away, but didn't get around to making it until Friday. It is absolutely fantastic and really reminded me of my days back at Lu's. If you like Hawaiian Pizza, you MUST try this. Close your eyes and you won't know the difference.
Hawaiian Pizza Pasta
1 small can sliced mushrooms (or 1/2 pound fresh)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 T olive oil
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. pizza seasoning
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 20 oz. can pineapple
1 cup fully cooked cubed ham

Saute the mushrooms, onion, green pepper, and garlic in oil for 5 minutes until tender. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaves, seasoning, & sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, boil pasta according to package directions; drain. Discard bay leaves from sauce. Add the pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, pineapple, and ham.
Transfer to a greased 3 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!