Description
Indulge in the rich and comforting flavors of this Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta Bake. It’s a satisfying dish that combines Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a creamy sauce, all baked to perfection with a cheesy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 ounces penne or rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small yellow onion (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- fresh basil for garnish (optional)
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook the Pasta: Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Sauté Sausage: Brown the sausage in a skillet, then add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, milk, Parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella until creamy. Add spinach and season with salt and pepper.
- Combine and Bake: Mix pasta with sausage mixture, transfer to baking dish, top with remaining mozzarella, and bake for 20–25 minutes.
- Serve: Let rest before serving, garnish with basil if desired.
Notes
- For a lighter version, use half-and-half and turkey sausage.
- Gluten-free pasta works well in this recipe.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully for meal prep.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 34g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 27g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
