Simple Sausage Pasta Bake

This delicious simple sausage pasta bake with only four ingredients will please the entire family. The mild mozzarella taste paired with garlic marinara and Italian sausage make this a home run. The simple recipe is easy to follow and the tasty ingredients will please anyone from a hungry toddler to a starving husband.

Finished image of the simple sausage pasta bake

Time is one thing I don’t always have a lot of. This dish helps keep my dinner routine uncomplicated and offer plenty for seconds or leftovers. It pairs easily with just about anything – veggies, garlic bread, or a nice salad like this one! You can make this simple sausage pasta bake ahead of time and pop in the oven whenever you want or prepare and throw right in the oven – dinner ready in under an hour from start to finish.

Can I use different meats for the pasta bake?

Of course you can! Italian sausage is very flavorful and something my family loves. We have made this dish with ground beef, ground turkey, and even crumbled meatballs. Whatever your family prefers is easy to substitute in this simple dish.

What is the healthiest sausage?

The healthiest sausage is turkey sausage. While untraditional, a sausage made from turkey is healthier than a pork-based one because it contains fewer calories and fat per serving. It still offers a more flavorful taste than ground beef because of the additional seasonings. It can have a higher level of cholesterol though so always read your labels if worried about nutritional value.

What if I don’t have the right pasta?

You can substitute most types of pasta in this dish. I wouldn’t recommend using any type of spaghetti or long noddle. It makes serving a little more difficult when dishing out the final product plus those types of noddles don’t take hold of the sauce and flavors as well. We use penne, elbow, rigatoni… anything along those lines. Just cook according to the directions posted on the box.

Ingredients for the simple sausage pasta bake

Ingredients for the Simple Sausage Pasta Bake

  • 1 box Bowtie Pasta
  • 1 LB sausage
  • 2 Cups Mozzarella
  • 1 Jar Organic Bertoli Pasta Sauce

How to cook simple sausage pasta bake:

1. If you plan on baking right away, preheat your oven to 350 F.

2. Cook the pasta according to the directions you find on the box.

3. While the pasta is boiling, brown the sausage and crumble after you cook. Be sure to cook the sausage completely.

cooked ingredients before combing together

4. Once both the pasta and the sausage are done cooking, drain the pasta thoroughly.

5. Drain the sausage.

6. Once drained, return the pasta to the pot. Add the sausage and pasta sauce. Stir well to combine.

pot with pasta, sausage, and marinara before stirred

7. Pour mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish.

8. Add the mozzarella cheese over top, putting an even layer throughout.

9. Place in a preheated oven for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

** If not baking right away, once cheese is on top, cover and place in refrigerator for up to 48 hours before cooking. Simply preheat oven and pop it in when ready to cook for 30 minutes. If frozen, be sure casserole is fully thawed before baking.

Adding mozzarella to stirred mixture

We are a family that runs on leftovers. This dish provides plenty for a family of 4 and leaves enough for lunch the next day. Whether heated in a thermos for my kids lunch box, or packed with my husband for his day at the squadron, no one is ever sad to see this meal come around twice!

Fully baked dish of the simple sausage pasta bake
finished picture of simple sausage pasta bake
Yield: Serves 6

Simple Sausage Pasta Bake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 box Bowtie Pasta
  • 1 LB sausage
  • 2 Cups Mozzarella
  • 1 Jar Organic Bertoli Pasta Sauce

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a pot on the stove, cook pasta according to instructions on box/bag. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a separate pan, brown sausage, drain and set aside.
  4. Add cooked pasta and crumbled sausage to pot and add pasta sauce.
  5. Stir to mix completely.
  6. Add mixture to a greased 9X13 baking dish.
  7. Top with mozzarella cheese.
  8. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until it begins to bubble.
  9. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 385Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 956mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 19g

(Nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)

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