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Cheesy Baked Pasta with Spinach & Sausage

Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Keyword: baked pasta, dinner, mains, pasta, pasta sauce, roasted tomato and garlic pasta sauce, sausage, spinach
Servings: 6 people
Author: Ashlen Leonard

Ingredients

  • 3 cups uncooked penne noodles
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1/2 large white onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 500 grams Italian sausage about 5 sausages
  • 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
  • 2 cups Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta Sauce
  • 1 cup mozzarella or parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 tsp basil dried

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9x13" baking dish.
  • Cook the pasta al dente or according to its package instructions. Once cooked, drain the water, drizzle in 2-3 tsp of olive oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other and mix well. Set aside.
  • In a large frying pan or skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil at medium heat. Add the diced onion and fresh garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
  • Remove the sausages from the casings and add to the pan. Using a spoon or spatula, break the sausages apart until the meat is crumbled and mixed in with the onion and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through.
  • Add the fresh spinach and mix into the meat for about 1 minute or until the spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta and 2 cups of the Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta Sauce. Stir until the noodles are evenly coated. Add the sausage and spinach mixture to the noodles and mix together.
  • Pour the pasta and sausage mixture into the 9x13" baking dish. Top the pasta with the grated cheese, making sure it covers the entire surface. Season with the dried basil, salt and pepper.
  • Cover the baking dish with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and the pasta in the middle of the dish is warm.
  • Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil and enjoy!

Notes

For the sauce, follow this recipe: Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta Sauce
 
Substitutions:
  • Instead of sausages, you can use ground turkey, chicken or beef.
  • For a plant-based option, use drained and rinsed canned lentils or crumbled tofu instead of sausages or ground meat.
  • I highly recommend trying the Roasted Tomato and Garlic Pasta Sauce but alternatively, you can use your own choice of tomato-based pasta sauce.
 
For a gluten-free version, opt for gluten-free noodles and sausages.