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Why spend a fortune on takeout when you can have this Sausage Pasta Bake at home? With simple pantry ingredients, a little easy prep, and just 30 minutes, you get a rich, cheesy, and meaty casserole that feeds the whole family. Perfect for busy weeknights!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This recipe is so delicious and very easy! We will make it again and again.” – Laura
“My kids love smoked sausage, so this was a hit! Next time I’ll make a double batch and freeze one of the pans.” – Kara
“Love this! So delicious and easy – my kids gobble it up every time!” – April
Comfort Food Made Easy
You have to try this sausage pasta bake! It’s become a staple in our house for busy weeknights! With just five simple ingredients, you can have a bubbling, cheesy casserole ready in about 30 minutes. I love that it’s not only quick but also freezer-friendly, so you can make a double batch and have an easy meal ready for another night. This recipe has earned a permanent spot in our rotation because it’s comforting, hearty, and always disappears fast at the dinner table.
I like to turn it into a complete meal by pairing it with a fresh strawberry spinach salad, warm garlic breadsticks, or cheesy garlic bread, plus whatever veggies or fruit we have on hand. This recipe is simple to make and loved by everyone, and I’m excited for you to try it!
🩷 Echo
Table of Contents
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Comfort Food Made Easy
- What You’ll Need to Make Sausage Pasta Bake
- Variations to this Sausage Pasta Bake
- How to Make Sausage Pasta Bake
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing Leftovers and Reheating Sausage Pasta Bake
- Freeze it for Later
- More Simple Pasta Recipes
- Sausage Pasta Bake Recipe
What You’ll Need to Make Sausage Pasta Bake
- Sausage – Roll the sausage into small round balls and add to a large skillet to be cooked. You can use olive oil if needed.
- Pasta – We used bow-tie pasta. If you want to be more adventurous, try penne pasta, rigatoni pasta, or rotini pasta.
- Spaghetti sauce – Either use homemade tomato sauce or canned spaghetti sauce. Both are delicious and will work well for the sausage bake.
- Alfredo sauce – This may sound strange to have both red and white sauces together, but trust me – it tastes delicious!
- Mozzarella cheese – Buy pre-shredded mozzarella cheese or buy a brick and have freshly shredded cheese.
Variations to this Sausage Pasta Bake
This sausage pasta bake is incredibly flexible, which makes it easy to adapt to your family’s tastes or whatever you have on hand. You can swap the sauces, change up the meat, add extra cheese, or keep it light. It all works well with this simple, comforting recipe.
- Homemade – If you have a little extra time, you can make this recipe with our Homemade Alfredo Sauce or our Healthy Alfredo Sauce and our Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce. These recipes are easy to make and taste extra delicious in this dish.
- Healthy – Make it healthier by using whole wheat pasta, ground turkey sausage, chicken, and lighter versions of spaghetti and Alfredo sauce.
- Pasta types – You can use different varieties of pasta depending on what you have in the pantry or what your family likes best. I have made it with rotini pasta, penne pasta, and bow-tie pasta. They all work great!
- Seasonings – Add in some seasonings like oregano, thyme, basil, or red pepper flakes for extra heat. Italian seasoning is also a popular choice!
- Mince – If you are a garlic and onion lover, you will love mincing these up and adding them to the sausage.
- Garnish – Top off the Italian sausage pasta bake with parmesan cheese and fresh basil when serving.
How to Make Sausage Pasta Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. In a skillet, brown the sliced sausage on both sides.
- Assemble the base: Spread ½ cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- Build the first layer: Add half of the pasta, half of the sausage, 1 ½ cups spaghetti sauce, 1 ½ cups Alfredo sauce, and 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining pasta, sausage, and sauces.
- Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes to melt the cheese on top.
- Serve: Serve with steamed broccoli or a fresh green salad for a festive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are trying to avoid using Alfredo altogether, you can use 6 ½ cups of spaghetti sauce in this recipe or if you want to use a less fat/calorie version of the Alfredo sauce, you can substitute the recipe for this low-fat Alfredo sauce.
Yes! For this pasta bake, it is best to precook the pasta according to the package. Boil the noodles over medium-high heat in a large pot of salted water (you do not have to add salt). Stir until the noodles are a little undercooked, then remove them from the boiling water. Drain and set aside until ready to add to the baking dish. Since the pasta is not fully cooked, it will finish cooking in the oven with the other ingredients.
Before reheating your Italian sausage bake, place a little bit of sauce or water on the plate or bowl. Then, microwave it and the water or sauce will absorb and keep it moist while reheating. This trick will also help keep it from separating.
Yes, it is best to cover the sausage pasta bake while baking. At the end, you can add more cheese on top and let that melt perfectly into the pasta bake.
Absolutely! You can use smoked sausage, Italian sausage, turkey sausage, or even chicken sausage. Just make sure it’s fully cooked or browned before adding it to the casserole.
A dry bake usually means there wasn’t enough sauce. Make sure the pasta is well-coated before baking. You can also add extra marinara or Alfredo if you like a saucier casserole.
Read Next: 35+ Easy Family Dinner Ideas
Storing Leftovers and Reheating Sausage Pasta Bake
Place your casserole dish or remaining pasta sausage bake in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for four to five days. When ready to reheat, place in the oven or microwave to warm up. If reheating in the oven, add more liquid to the pasta sausage bake. Sprinkle more cheese on top and enjoy!
Freeze it for Later
Make this pasta sausage bake ahead of time and freeze to use later! Just prep the casserole according to the recipe card below, but don’t bake it. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze for up to two months.
To reheat, simply pop it in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until it’s heated all the way through and the cheese is bubbly. Serve it with a green salad and some crusty bread for a really easy weeknight dinner!
More Simple Pasta Recipes
Pasta dinners are so easy to prepare and are always hearty and filling. They really are the perfect weeknight meal! Try some of these delicious recipes the next time you need a quick dinner idea.
If your family loves this Sausage Pasta Bake, I’d be so happy to hear about it. Drop a comment and leave a rating to let me know how it went. Your feedback is always appreciated! ✨
Sausage Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound bow tie, penne, or rotini pasta
- 3 ½ cups spaghetti sauce, homemade or canned
- 3 cups Alfredo sauce, homemade or canned
- 12 ounces cooked smoked sausage, diced
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Heat the sliced sausage in a medium-sized saucepan until lightly browned on both sides.
- Spread ½ cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
- Layer half of the pasta, half of the sausage, 1 ½ cups of spaghetti sauce, 1 ½ cups of Alfredo sauce, and 1 ½ cups of cheese.
- Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil for last 5 minutes.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Notes
How to Freeze Sausage Pasta Bake
This pasta sausage bake can be made ahead of time and frozen to use for later! Just prep the casserole according to the recipe card below, but don’t bake it. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze for up to two months. Serve with broccoli or a green salad for a balanced meal.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Your Sausage Pasta Bake sounds amazing! What kind of smoked sausage did you use, or would you suggest using? Thanks!
Smoked Italian sausage works great!
This recipe is so delicious and very easy! We will make it again and again.
My kids love smoked sausage, so this was a hit! Next time I’ll make a double batch and freeze one of the pans.
Love this! So delicious and easy – my kids gobble it up every time!
What can I substitute for the Alfredo sauce?
If you are trying to avoid using Alfredo altogether, you can use 6 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce in this recipe. If you are looking to use a less fat/calories version of the Alredo sauce, you can substitute the recipe here for the Alfredo sauce. Thank you for asking!
could this be made with hamburger, and how many will it serve
You could definitely try it with ground beef. I am sure it would be fine! It will serve the same, appx 6 depending on people’s hunger levels 🙂
I made this last night and put in fridge to bake today. Would you have to bake it longer if it were refrigerated over night?
You might want to give it a little longer, unless you bring the dish to room temp. first.
I was able to locate the regular Alfredo sauce recipe when I searched but I wanted to let you know that the link is broken that you have above
This is the perfect weeknight, comfort dish, love it!