Italian Sausage Bake

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage

  (Italian sausage links - sweet, mild, or spicy)
• 24 oz spaghetti sauce

  (your favorite brand)
• 16 oz rotini pasta

  (or penne pasta)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

  (grated)
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

  (optional - shredded or grated)
• 1 tablespoon basil

  (optional - fresh, chopped)

Instructions

• 1 Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease your 2.5-quart casserole
  or baking dish, or a 9 x 13 baking pan with extra virgin olive oil.
• 2 Cook your rotini, penne, rigatoni, or ziti pasta per the package instructions,
  minus about two minutes for an al dente texture. Drain and rinse in cool water
  to stop the cooking process.
• 3 Transfer the cooked pasta to your prepared baking dish.
• 4 Pour marinara or spaghetti sauce over the cooked pasta layer.
• 5 Cut your Italian sausage links into chunks and press them into the top of the
  sauce layer.
• 6 Grate mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses then spread over the top of the sausage
  layer.
• 7 Top with fresh-cut basil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35-40 minutes. When done,
  the casserole should be bubbling around the edges, and the sausage pieces should
  have an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
• 8 Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Garnish with more cheese, basil, or
  chopped parsley if desired.

Nutrition Info