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This Italian Sausage Pasta Bake is an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage is mixed with pasta, tomato sauce and cheese and baked to perfection! 

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA BAKE

I am bringing you guys another easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love. This Italian Sausage Pasta Bake is not only easy to put together but it is also delicious. I am excited to be partnering this year with al fresco for their ambassador program.

If you have been following along for a while now you know how much I love al fresco products. You might remember this Easy Baked Rigatoni with Chicken Meatballs and this Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Vegetables that I created in the past using their products. 

They make a variety of sausages, breakfast sausage, meatballs and bacon that are pre-cooked making meal time quick and easy. You can always find a few of their products in my fridge.

Today’s recipe for the Italian Sausage Pasta bake uses al fresco’s Sweet Italian Sausage. This sausage has Italian spices, red and green peppers in it which is perfect for this Italian Pasta dish. Their products do not use artificial ingredients and are minimally processed which is important to me. 

Not only does this sausage work great in pasta dishes it is great on the grill, stove-top or even in the microwave. You can create a meal in a matter of minutes using their sausage products! 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS SAUSAGE PASTA RECIPE?

CHICKEN SAUSAGE: I used the Italian sausage in this dish but you can easily substitute in a different variety of theirs. A couple I really like are the Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago and the Roasted Garlic. 

PASTA: I suggest using a medium sized pasta in this dish. Try using a whole wheat, red lentil or chickpea pasta for a healthier dish. 

SAUCE: I bought my favorite jar of tomato sauce to use in this pasta dish making it even easier to put together. If you want to make a homemade sauce try this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce or this Healthy Tomato Sauce. 

CHEESE: When I make pasta bakes like this Baked Ziti with Ricotta and today’s pasta bake I like to use Parmesan cheese, mozzarella and Ricotta. If you don’t like ricotta you can skip it but I like how it adds a creaminess to the dish. 

HOW DO YOU MAKE THIS PASTA DISH?

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Start by boiling the pasta and cook according to the package. 
2. While the pasta is boiling chop the sausage and set aside. In a large mixing bowl add a jar of tomato sauce and 1 cup of ricotta cheese. Stir to combine. Add the oregano and the sausage. 
3. Stir in the pasta once it is done. Pour the pasta and sauce mixture into a nonstick 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta bake.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pasta dish is cooked through. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil and serve warm!

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH THIS PASTA BAKE?

Salad is always a great pairing for this dish. I love serving this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, this Spinach Salad with Bacon or this Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing. 

Vegetable side dishes are also a nice addition to a pasta meal. I especially love this Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds or this Sautéed Spinach. 

Homemade bread is always a nice addition. My favorites are this Best Sourdough Bread Recipe or this Homemade Wheat Bread. 

TIP FOR FREEZING:

 Let the dish cool completely, then cover with a double layer of foil and freeze for up to three months. To reheat move the pasta straight from freeze to oven at 350 degrees F. Let bake for an hour, covered, to thaw completely and heated through.

Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This Italian Sausage Pasta Bake is an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage is mixed with pasta, tomato sauce and cheese and baked to perfection! 

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Ingredients

• 1 - 11 ounce package of al fresco Sweet Italian Sausage
• 8 ounces of pasta, cooked
• 1 - 24 ounce jar of tomato sauce
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• Fresh basil or parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the tomato sauce, chopped sausage, oregano and ricotta and stir well. Add the pasta in and mix well.
4. Pour the pasta mixture into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta mixture.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through and the cheese is bubbling.
6. Garnish with basil and fresh parsley.

Notes

You can store the leftovers for up 3 to 5 days in an air tight contianer.

For freezing: Let dishes cool completely, then cover with a double layer of foil and freeze for up to three months. To reheat: Move the pasta straight from freeze to oven at 350 degrees F. Let bake for an hour, covered, to thaw completely and heated through.

Today’s post is sponsored by al fresco. As always, opinions are 100% my own.