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Cheesy Sausage and Pepper Bake
by September-10-2015
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. box tube pasta (like penne or ziti), cooked al dente
  • 1 medium white onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tbs. butter
  • 1 lb. hot Italian sausage*
  • 3 heaping tbs. flour
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 large jar (24 oz) chunky tomato sauce
  • 3-4 cups shredded Italian blend cheese
Instructions
*I used bulk sausage for this recipe, I think the crumble texture of bulk sausage lends well to being mixed into a pasta bake. However, you could also use a link sausage. In that case, you will want to sear the outsides first, then slice it into 1/2 inch thick discs and then add them to the veggie mix to cook through.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic and salt and pepper; saute until onions are translucent. Add the sausage to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, mix the veggies into the sausage and break it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned and cooked, sprinkle the flour on top, 1 tbs at a time, and mix until all the fat and grease has been absorbed by the flour and has created a paste. Depending on the variety of sausage you chose, you may need more or less flour, based on the amount of fat released by the meat. Whisk in the jar of sauce a little at a time, making sure it combines smoothly and without lumps. Bring to a boil and stir in the cream. Simmer and stir until combined. Remove from the heat. Add the cooked pasta directly to the pot and stir to coat the pasta evenly. This would taste amazing just as it is and would not NEED to be covered in cheese and baked, you could easily just spoon this pasta right into a bowl and eat it. Pour the pasta into a 9x12 casserole pan or two 9x9 pans. Sprinkle the cheese on top, add a little salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: Serves 8