Pasta bake loaded with sausage, peppers, and bubbling mozzarella.
Comforting Sausage-and-Pepper Bake for Busy Nights
A family-friendly casserole that brings sweet roasted peppers, savory Italian sausage, and gooey mozzarella together with penne for an easy make-ahead weeknight dinner.
This is the kind of dinner that feels like a hug on a plate: bright, slightly charred bell peppers and sweet onions folded through toothsome penne, all wrapped in a tomato-y sauce and crowned with bubbling mozzarella. It answers the eternal weeknight question of how to make something satisfying without fuss—and it’s built to stretch to lunches and second-night dinners.
What keeps the bake from going flat is the balance of textures and flavors. Crumbled Italian sausage adds savory fat and bite, crushed tomatoes and a spoonful of tomato paste give the sauce depth, and a splash of chicken broth keeps everything silky rather than sticky. Cooking the pasta a couple of minutes under package time is the trick: it soaks up the sauce in the oven but stays pleasantly al dente under the cheese. A pinch of red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning pull the components together without stealing the show.
It’s also a great batch-cooking recipe. Assemble the casserole ahead and freeze it for a grab-and-bake dinner, or make a double batch to feed the week. When you need dinner fast, a hot oven transforms the frozen or refrigerated assembly into a bubbling, fragrant meal in under an hour—no last-minute scrambling required.
Serve it with a simple green salad and lots of crusty bread to mop up any tomatoey goodness. Leftovers reheat beautifully, so tuck a portion in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch—this is the kind of dish that improves, not loses, its charm after a night in the fridge.
Ingredients
How to Make Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Trim and thinly slice the bell peppers and peel and slice the onion; mince the garlic.
- Cook the penne 2 minutes less than package directions (about 7–8 minutes) until very al dente; drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage (remove casings if necessary); crumble and brown for 6–8 minutes until no longer pink.
- Add the sliced onion and peppers to the skillet and cook 4–5 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper; bring to a simmer and cook 8–10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in half of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan, then fold in the cooked penne until evenly coated.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly over the top, and bake uncovered for 18–22 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling and edges are lightly browned.
- Let the bake rest 5–10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, then serve.
Recipe Card
Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta Bake
Pasta bake loaded with sausage, peppers, and bubbling mozzarella.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Trim and thinly slice the bell peppers and peel and slice the onion; mince the garlic.
- Cook the penne 2 minutes less than package directions (about 7–8 minutes) until very al dente; drain and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage (remove casings if necessary); crumble and brown for 6–8 minutes until no longer pink.
- Add the sliced onion and peppers to the skillet and cook 4–5 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper; bring to a simmer and cook 8–10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, stir in half of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan, then fold in the cooked penne until evenly coated.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly over the top, and bake uncovered for 18–22 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling and edges are lightly browned.
- Let the bake rest 5–10 minutes, sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, then serve.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 69
- Saturated Fat
- 20
- Sodium
- 1500
- Fiber
- 4.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 30
- Protein
- 47
- Fat
- 49
- Cholesterol
- 90
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 960
- Sugar
- 8