We eat a lot of veggies in this house, but recently I picked up a few pounds of bulk hot Italian sausage and I was jonesing for a meaty baked pasta dish. We don’t eat a lot of meat, so 1 pound for this recipe is a lot for us. If you are a big meat eater, you can add up to an extra pound of sausage to make it extra meaty.

This recipe makes a lot, but, it keeps well for leftovers and you can freeze leftovers as well.

Meaty Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 box pasta (whatever variety you like best), cooked per package directions
• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• 2 T. butter or oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 32 oz of your favorite red pasta sauce
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups mozzarella, divided
• 1 cup parmesan/romano blend cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook pasta per directions, drain off the water, reserving 2-3 Tablespoons.
3. In a large pan, cook and crumble Italian sausage. After it is cooked, drain it on a paper towel.
4. Using the same pan, saute onion and pepper for 10-15 minutes, until the onions are clear and have started to caramelize.
5. Add in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add in zucchini, sauce, and tomato paste- cook until sauce comes to a simmer.
7. Add meat back in, and stir to combine.
8. Add reserved pasta water to the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
9. In a baking dish layer sauce, pasta, cheese, and sauce. Repeat until the baking dish is full and top with the remaining cheese.
10. Cover the baking dish with a lid or tented foil and bake for 45 minutes.
11. Remove the lid/foil and cook another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
12. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread!

This recipe made a 9×13 baking dish, which will serve 6-8 people a hearty portion.

If you need more veggies in your life, add carrots, drained diced petite tomatoes, more peppers, and even a few handfuls of spinach!

This meal was so satisfying. I’ve had leftovers for lunch twice now.

I ended up with extra sauce, and I plan on making calzones with it.