Flavor is delicious! We used elbow macaroni instead of rotini (but used less than 2 cups) and I used corn with red/green bell peppers for more flavor.
I had to add extra water next day when eating up for lunch as a lot of the liquid was absorbed by the noodles. I also added in some Wahoo Chili Seasoning - and I think I would add this in to the whole pot as it's cooking for a kick!