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side view shot of a fork taking a bite of baked penne with italian sausage
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4.62 from 26 votes

Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

This Baked Penne with Italian Sausage is cheesy, it's saucy and totally made from scratch! Freezer friendly and an easy dreamy weeknight dinner!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: baked penne, baked ziti, pasta recipes
Servings: 10
Calories: 402kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian sausage mild, casings removed (about 5 links)
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 28 ounce diced tomatoes canned
  • 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried
  • 1 teaspoon basil dried
  • ½ teaspoon thyme dried
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seed
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 10 ounces green peas frozen
  • 12 ounces penne dry (or ziti)
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
  • Make Sauce: Crumble the sausage meat into a large skillet over medium heat and brown, stirring often for about 5 minutes, until it's no longer pink.
  • Add the onion, pepper and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, or until the onion and pepper have softened and the onion is translucent.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, tomato paste, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring often as needed.
  • Stir in the peas. Remove the sauce from heat. 
  • Toss penne with sauce: Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir. Stir in about 1 cup of cheese. 
  • Assemble: Transfer the pasta to a large casserole dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. 
  • Bake: Transfer the casserole dish to the preheated oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, for about 20 minutes.
  • Serve: Garnish with parsley or basil if desired and serve warm.

Video

Notes

  1. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 738mg | Potassium: 521mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 2.5mg