This wonderful hearty Make Ahead Italian Sausage and Pasta Bake really hits the spot. Full of flavor, easy to make (and freeze) for those hectic or lazy days.
Not only is this dish beautiful, it is sooo delicious!
You can make this the night before so all you have to do when ready to serve is heat it up in the oven.
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Make Ahead Italian Sausage and Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage mild or hot
- olive oil optional
- 2 onions coarsely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large sweet red pepper coarsely chopped
- 28 ounces meatless extra chunky pasta sauce
- 7 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- 5 cups penne pasta
- 1 284 g package fresh spinach (trimmed and coarsely chopped)
- 3 cups shredded provolone cheese or 3 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated asiago cheese or 1 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut the sausage into 1/2 inch chunks. In large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, in batches and adding oil if necessary. Transfer sausage to a bowl.
- Pour off any fat from the pan. Add the onions, garlic and red pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and fennel seeds; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan.
- Return the sausage and any accumulated juices to the pan; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta for 6 minutes, add the spinach; cook for 1 minute. Drain well and return to the pot. Add the sausage mixture and provolone/mozzarella cheese; stir to combine well.
- Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 13x9-inch dish. Sprinkle with Asiago/parmesan cheese. Cover dish with greased foil, greased side down.
- To serve: Bake, covered with foil, in in 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or for 1 hour if from the refrigerator. This freezes beautifully (thaw in refrigerator before baking).
Enjoy!
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Recipe based on one by Chili Spice
Photo by French Tart