Pasta dishes are easily my favorite meals to create on weekdays. I usually sauté a bunch of veggies together in some butter and garlic and toss them with some sort of noodle, usually fusilli. But when there’s a sauce involved, it’s 100x tastier and more satisfying.

The idea to create this recipe was born out of two separate recipes — chili and mac and cheese — that I mixed together one afternoon because I didn’t have enough mac and cheese left to serve as a complete meal. Beforehand, I’d maybe had chili mac and cheese maybe once in my life. Afterwards, I felt like this was what my winter soul was missing. I loved the tart-creamy combination of cheese and tomato, as well as the heartiness of chili and pasta in one dish.

To simplify the process and cut down on time, I…