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cheesy baked pasta with sausage_vertical

Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake

This cheesy sausage pasta bake is ooey gooey deliciousness for when you're craving a low-effort comfort recipe.
4.59 from 12 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 744kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound hot Italian sausage, loose
  • 1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Crushed red pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 14.5- ounce can diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 16 ounces rigatoni
  • Fresh basil, for serving
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Brown the sausage:

  • Crumble sausage into a cold skillet. Turn heat to medium-high. Cook, occasionally turning and breaking up the sausage with your spoon, for 12-15 minutes until cooked through. Drain off excess fat if needed, leaving sausage in the skillet.

Cook the aromatics:

  • Add the onion to the sausage and cook over medium heat for 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Melt the butter into the skillet and add Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. (I forgot to record this part, whoops.)

Sizzle the tomato paste:

  • Add tomato paste and toss to coat everything in the paste. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the paste deepens in color and begins to stick to the skillet.

Simmer the sauce:

  • Pour in white wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes and boil for 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes as you cook the pasta. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar (optional).
  • Taste the sauce and season. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F.

Cook the pasta:

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until 1–2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain.

Assemble and bake the casserole:

  • Spoon half of the sauce into a 9x12 baking dish. Add the cooked pasta, the rest of the sauce, and the grated Parmesan and toss to coat.
  • Arrange the mozzarella on top and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Finish with a few cracks of black pepper. Transfer to the oven for 15–20 minutes. Broil for 2–3 minutes until cheese is browned is bubbly.

To serve:

  • Remove from the oven and garnish with a few basil leaves. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 744kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 40g | Sodium: 926mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 11mg
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