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This sausage pasta bake comes together in 30 minutes and is a cheesy, meaty, hearty meal that the whole family will love. Perfect for busy weeknights!
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You have to try this sausage pasta bake! It is a quick and easy meal that your family will love. With just five simple ingredients, you can have this bubbling in the oven in no time! It’s really easy to make and can be frozen ahead of time, so it’s the perfect quick meal for those busy evenings. This is a family favorite recipe that is in constant rotation at our house!
Make a complete meal with this savory and hearty dish served with a side strawberry spinach salad, garlic breadsticks or hot cheese bread, and any vegetable or fruit dish. It is easy to make and only takes 30 minutes. One of our favorite family recipes that is loved by everyone!
Sausage Pasta Bake Ingredients
Sausage pasta bake is always the dinner that I go to on those busy nights. These are easy ingredients to keep on hand and in your pantry. Grab your baking dish and let’s get started on a favorite family dinner!
- 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 this blend is very good, and couldn’t obtain the right flavors without the other one.
- Mozzarella cheese – Buy pre-shredded mozzarella cheese or buy a brick and have freshly shredded cheese.
Steps to Make Sausage Pasta Bake
This is a dinner that is made over and over again! It is the perfect casserole to serve to friends and family as well as enjoying it on a busy weeknight. It is easily made in under 30 minutes.
- Cook – Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
- Saute – Heat the sliced sausage in a medium-sized saucepan until lightly browned on both sides.
- Assemble – 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 everything except the cheese on top.
- Bake – Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Cheese it – Remove foil, top with remaining 1 ½ cups of cheese, and bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve – Serve with steamed broccoli or a fresh green salad for a festive meal!
Variations to this Sausage Pasta Bake
This sausage pasta bake is easy to make variations and substitutions that are best for your family’s needs. Switch out the sauce, make it with beef, or add extra cheese. All these things are possible with this simple-to-make pasta 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.
“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
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.
The pasta bake would be too dry if the sausage pasta bake did not have enough liquid in the baking pan. Pasta will absorb liquid from the sauce it is baking in. Add more liquid if you see that happening while baking.
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.
Read Next: 35+ Easy Family Dinner Ideas
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!
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!
More Simple Pasta Recipes
Pasta dinners are so easy to prepare and are always hearty and filling, aka the perfect weeknight meal! Try some of these delicious recipes the next time you need a quick dinner idea.
How to Make Sausage Pasta Bake
Sausage Pasta Bake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
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.
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 Information
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!