Hey there foodie friends,
Looking for a scrumptious pasta bake? Here’s one for ya, a Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake. Okay, it was time for a pasta recipe, a baked one, loaded with peppers, leeks, sausages, and of course, plenty of cheese. No heavy cream here, just cheesy deliciousness. I chose to post the loaded sausage pasta recipe today. A hearty, flavorful, and satisfying dish for those of you who love sausages. Now, you all know me by now, whenever I cook something with meat, there’s always a second, vegetarian version on the side. Mine was allll cheese, loaded with red peppers for a touch of sweetness and just enough hot pepper flakes to give it that perfect little kick.
This is one of those recipes that basically cooks itself once it hits the oven. A few simple ingredients: Greek pasta (keep that in mind), Greek sausages, cheese, and a good sauce, and boom! boom! You’ve got yourself a dish that’s guaranteed to disappear fast. It’s the kind of dinner that fills your kitchen with that comforting “something’s baking” smell.
Now, I’ll admit it, I didn’t do anything extremely fancy here. It’s a baked pasta dish. How fancy can this possibly get? I used a mix of cheeses, Greek (Kaseri) and Italian (Mozzarella), because… well, cheese makes everything better. I had a few pieces of sausage in the freezer, so I didn’t have to go running to the supermarket. Woo hoo It all came together rather quickly. Once it was ready I took it out of the oven to slightly cool, but the pasta was attacked the minute it came out of the oven. ahhahahah.
The beauty of this bake is that you can mix things up however you like, swap the sausage for chicken, or go vegetarian and toss in some roasted veggies instead. Whatever you choose, it’s still the kind of meal that makes everyone come back for seconds.
Serve it straight out of the oven with a little fresh oregano or basil, maybe, and I mean maybe, with a slice of crusty bread on the side (because that sauce deserves to be wiped clean). It’s easy, it’s cheesy, it’s the perfect midweek comfort meal. I made this Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake on a Tuesday!
Have a lovely morning/afternoon/evening, everyone! 🙂
Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake
Equipment
- 1 Baking dish 8 x 2 inches or 20 x 5 cm
- 1 frying pan large
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 pasta drainer
Ingredients
- 500 grams Fusilli Pasta
- 450 grams Greek sausage remove from casing (optional)
- 1 Leek washed and finely chopped
- 2 Red bell peppers finely sliced
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tbsp Hot pepper flakes
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 250 grams Mozzarella shredded
- 250 grams Kaseri cheese shredded
- 150 grams pecorino cheese grated (optional)
- 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
- salt and pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170℃
- Chop 1 Leek leaving out the green part, 2 Red bell peppers, 450 grams Greek sausage.
- Boil the 500 grams Fusilli Pasta for a few minutes less than indicated on the package.
- In the frying pan, add ½ cup Olive oil, sprinkle in the 1 tbsp Smoked paprika and the 1 ½ tbsp Hot pepper flakes. (This gives flavor to the olive oil)
- Add in the chopped vegetables and the sausage. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is lightly browned.
- Pour in the 1 ½ cups tomato sauce and gently stir.
- Take the shredded 250 grams Mozzarella, 250 grams Kaseri cheese, and the 150 grams pecorino cheese and set them aside.
- Drain the pasta and spread half of it evenly over the bottom of your baking dish.
- Pour half of the tomato mixture on top, then generously sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta, sauce, and finish with a final layer of cheese.
- Pop it in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, let all that cheese melt.
- Serve hot
KALI SAS OREXI!! 🙂