Sausage Baked Penne Recipe

Casseroles are fantastic for busy families this time of year. It’s so simple to double ingredients, and make two casseroles. Just stick the extra in the freezer, and you have an instant (almost!) homemade meal for your family. This sausage casserole is very tasty. Penne topped with fresh garlic, pesto, and tomato sauce plus crusty mozzarella. Flavor-up the browned sausage with our Italian Sausage Seasoning for a real treat!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound

  pork sausage

• 1/2 cup

  tomato sauce

• 1 teaspoon

  Italian Sausage Seasoning

• 1 cup

  fresh spinach, washed and chopped

• 1/2 cup

  pesto OR 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped + 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 2 tablespoons

  grated Parmesan

• 1

  garlic clove, chopped

• 1 cup

  shredded mozzarella

• 8 ounces

  penne pasta (or whatever you have in your pantry)

Directions

Crumble and brown the sausage in a large saucepan. When there is no pink, add the tomato sauce and Italian Sausage Seasoning.

Cook the pasta according to the box directions.

Add the spinach to the sausage mixture, then cook until it is wilted. Stir in the pesto, garlic, and Parmesan.

Drain the pasta, then add it to the sausage mixture. Stir to combine, then pour into an 8x8” casserole dish. Top with the shredded mozzarella.

At this point you can cook, or freeze.

To freeze: Tightly wrap the top and bottom of the dish in aluminum foil. Label and store the casserole in your freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight the night before you want to prepare the casserole. Then proceed with baking instructions below.*

To bake: Bake uncovered at 350-degrees for 25-35 minutes. Serve immediately!

*Be sure to allow your casserole to thaw in the fridge, taking a frozen casserole and putting in to a hot oven can cause the dish to shatter.