Cheesy Pasta Bake with Sausage and Peppers
Made with penne - and you DON'T need to boil it first - sausage, bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, and plenty of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. This is my favorite kind of dinner - it requires minimal prep work and dishes, but provides maximum flavor!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 587kcal
Ingredients
- 1 box penne pasta 16 ounces
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3 cups water
- 1 lb cooked sausage Pork or Italian
- 1 24 ounce jar pasta sauce I like the tomato basil flavor ones
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 and 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cook your sausage, and drain grease.
- Assemble: Add the box of UNCOOKED - yes, uncooked - pasta to the baking dish with the spices and olive oil. Stir to mix. Add the water, cooked sausage, and pasta sauce and stir. Add half the mozzarella cheese, then lay the peppers in a layer on top, and then add the remaining mozzarella and all the parmesan cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes. Stick a fork through a piece of pasta to test that it's cooked, and pierce the peppers to see if they're tender to your liking. Place under the broiler for an extra minute or two, if desired, to get that really toasty look on the cheese.
- Serve + Store: Enjoy immediately! Store leftovers, covered well, in the fridge for up to 6 days. This makes great leftovers.
Notes
NOTE: Use GF pasta to make this recipe fully Gluten Free!
Nutrition
Calories: 587kcal