Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

This cozy and comforting Italian Sausage Pasta Bake Recipe pairs flavorful Italian sausage with a creamy ricotta cheese mixture along with fresh basil, other cheeses and so much flavor. Simple to prepare and easily made a day in advanced and then baked when you are ready. Leftovers are even better so this dinner is sure to be one the whole family will love!

• It’s loaded with comforting coziness and tons of flavor. The flavorful Italian sausage paired with creaminess of the ricotta and pasta is just WOW. Top it off with your favorite marinara and you have so much goodness in every single bite. This simple dinner recipe is a keeper!
• It’s got the good stuff your body needs! Pork provides nutrients that are hard to get from plant-based diets alone including vitamin B12, iron, zinc and essential fatty acids. It’s a great addition to your diet!
• Easily made a day in advance. This is the best part for me for busy weeknights or even weekends. You can prepare this Italian sausage baked pasta dinner recipe up to a day ahead of time so you can do all the work when it fits into your schedule. Then you can bake it just before serving. This is so helpful when you are too tired to cook–dinner is literally already prepped and ready!
• Freezer friendly. If you don’t overcook the pasta, then this is a great freezer meal. You can freeze leftovers or freeze the entire dish for up to 3 months. This way you can grab it when you need a night off from cooking.

Recipe Ingredients:

• pasta: for this pasta bake, I used tortiglioni which is a fancy version of rigatoni essentially with slightly deeper grooves. For best results in this recipe, use a short cut pasta that is just slightly al dente and you will be good to go. Penne pasta, rotini, ziti, just to name a few. A gluten free pasta will work as well.
• Italian sausage: we used mild Italian sausage but if you prefer a kick, feel free to opt for a spicy sausage. If you can’t find ground sausage on its own, just purchase sausages and remove the casing. 
• onion: yellow onion is what was used in this recipe but white works as well.
• ricotta cheese: for best results, use full fat ricotta cheese. This will have the richest flavor and the creamiest texture.
• other cheeses: this recipe also uses grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Freshly shredded and grated make for the best melty texture but you can also use prepackaged. You can top the pasta bake with fresh mozzarella instead of shredded for all the more gooiness!
• egg: the egg adds richness and flavor to the meal while also helping to hold it all together. If you happen to have an egg allergy or don’t have any eggs on hand, you can omit it. The dish may be slightly more runny and the flavor will shift slightly but not in a way that ruins the dish by any means!
• seasoning: I use classics in this recipe with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper. You will see below the addition of the fresh basil as well for extra flavor!
• garlic: fresh minced garlic is strongly suggested in this Italian sausage baked pasta recipe. You can use garlic powder instead if necessary, but the fresh garlic cloves in this dish will make it the best.
• basil: fresh basil mixed into the ricotta mixture as well as over top of the baked pasta is the showstopper in this recipe. Dried basil does not compare!
• marinara: use your favorite marinara sauce. This allows you to vary this recipe every time you make it while also making it to fit your flavor preference.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Start a large pot of water for the pasta, bring to a rolling boil and then cook pasta to just under al dente according to package directions. Drain and drizzle with a touch of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
• While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil. When olive oil is hot and glistening, add the onion and sauté until they start to become translucent. Add the Italian sausage and break down into small pieces and brown. Internal temperature of any ground pork should reach 160°F. (Make sure and have a meat thermometer handy for most accurate cooking!)
• When cooked, drain any excess grease and set aside.
• While the sausage cools, In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, chopped basil, seasoning and garlic.

• Stir the cheese mixture well to combine.
• Add the cooked pasta and browned Italian sausage to the cheese mixture when it is all cooked. It’s okay if it all hasn’t cooled completely.

• Lightly spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with oil. Add about 2 cups of marinara to the bottom of the pan and spread to allow it to cover the bottom completely.
• Add the pasta mixture to the pan and spread evenly.
• Cover the pasta with remaining 2 cups of marinara sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in 375°F preheated oven for about 20 minutes and then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes uncovered or until cheese is melted and pasta is bubbling. You can broil on high for the last 2-3 minutes for that golden brown topped melty cheese if desired.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes and top with more freshly chopped basil before serving.

Storage:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days. If planning to store longer, you can freeze in a freezer-safe dish once the pasta is cooled completely. It will keep frozen for about 3 months.

Other Pork Recipes:

Dinner

Maple Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

Instant Pot

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Rosemary

Dinner

Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops

Tacos

Ground Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

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