Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
This Italian Sausage Pasta Bake starts with rigatoni noodles in a homemade marinara sauce mixed with Italian chicken sausage, sauteed spinach and onions, and topped with lots of melted cheese. Quick, easy, and delicious!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 453kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rigatoni noodles uncooked
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided
- 12 ounces Italian chicken sausage cut into ~1/3" slices
- 2 cups spinach packed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
- 20 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 tbsp dried basil
- 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped coarsley
- 1/2 cup fresh parlsey chopped
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook rigatoni according to package instructions for al dente. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add cut chicken sausage and saute until browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to pot. Then, add spinach, lemon juice and salt. Saute until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add remaining tbsp of olive oil to pot along with diced onion. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic cloves and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Next, add whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, dried basil, Italian seasoning, oregano, thyme, sage, and black pepper. Stir well. Simmer over low, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. During this time, use your spoon or a spatula to break whole tomatoes into smaller, bite sized pieces.
- While sauce is simmering, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir together the sauce, cooked rigatoni, sauteed spinach, fresh basil, and fresh parsley. Place in a 9x13 or similar sized baking dish (this recipe will take up every last bit of your dish).
- Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over all of the pasta. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 848mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1345IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 194mg | Iron: 3.7mg