The Comforting One-Pan Dinner My Family Loves (and So Do I)
When you’re looking for a comforting dinner that feeds a crowd, you can’t beat an Italian sausage pasta bake. With just three ingredients, my recipe is easy to throw together for a satisfying meal.
My children are absolute pasta monsters. We have noodles in one form or another multiple times a week, and one of our favorite ways to enjoy them is in this pasta bake. It’s crowd-pleasing and so easy to make, with all of the flavors of a lasagna with way less effort.
A pasta bake like this one is a meal all in itself, and no side dishes are required. If you’d like to have something alongside, a green salad or some steamed vegetables would make a welcome addition to the table. Garlic bread or breadsticks are tasty pairings, too.
Make It Ahead
You can assemble the dish ahead of time and bake it later if you like. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. If you’re baking it from the fridge, add another 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time and skip the broiling step—the cheese on top will get plenty browned with the extra oven time.
Recipe Variations
This is a simple, straightforward recipe, and it’s very open to variations and additions:
- Switch up the cheeses: Monterey jack, fontina, havarti, or a fresh, water-packed mozzarella can stand in for the low-moisture mozzarella cheese used here. Sub out the ricotta for chevre, boursin, or even brie. As for the Parmesan, any other sharp and flavorful cheese like an asiago, pecorino romano, sharp cheddar, or aged gouda will be delicious. Use whatever you prefer (or whatever you happen to have on hand).
- Choose your sauce: Marinara is my go-to (and my favorite brands are Carbone, Rao’s, and the Private Selection line at Kroger), but any tomato-based pasta sauce can be the base for this dish. Arrabbiata if you like it spicy, vodka sauce for added richness, or puttanesca with its briny capers and olives are all great substitutions. If you like a very saucy bake, use a larger (32-ounce) jar of sauce. If you like it extra creamy, add in half of a (16-ounce) jar of alfredo.
- Spice it up: If you want even more heat than a spicy pasta sauce can provide, switch out the sweet Italian sausages for spicy links. You can also sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or add a spoonful of chopped Calabrian peppers as you’re mixing everything up.
- Get creative: Have leftover pesto? Add dollops along with the ricotta cheese (or sub it in for all of the ricotta). Want more veggies? Mix in some sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions, or chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
More Baked Pastas
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Cook the pasta:
Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, cook the sausage:
Use scissors or a paring knife to snip through and remove the sausage meat from the casings. Add the sausage meat to a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté until the sausages are fully cooked, breaking them up into bite-sized pieces with a spatula as they cook, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Assemble the pasta bake:
Add the cooked pasta and sausage to a large mixing bowl. Add the marinara and parsley (if using) and stir until the pasta and sausages are evenly coated in the sauce.
Transfer half of the pasta and sausage mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle on half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Add half of the ricotta, spooning it on in 1-tablespoon dollops. Add the remaining half of the pasta and sausage mixture and the rest of the cheeses on top in the same manner.
Bake:
Bake uncovered until the pasta bake is piping hot and the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 20 minutes For a little extra browning and a crispy top, switch the oven to the broil setting and cook until the cheese is well browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes.
If you have leftovers, let the pasta bake cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, microwave an individual portion of the pasta bake for about 1 1/2 minutes on high until heated through. If frozen, use your microwave’s “defrost” setting for about 3 minutes, then microwave for an additional 1 to 2 minutes on high.
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