I’m trying to revisit some old recipes collecting dust in my recipe box. You know those handwritten recipes that have food crusted on them you’ve had them for so long?! This is one of those recipes! I tweaked it a little bit and made hot sausage and pepper baked penne (instead of using sweet sausage and ziti noodles). Making recipes that can be prepped ahead of time and thrown in the oven are perfect for busy nights at our house!
The original recipe calls for sweet sausage, but I grabbed some fresh, hot sausage from my grocery store. My store was also out of ziti pasta, so I used penne. You can obviously use whichever type of sausage and whichever type of pasta noodle you like or have on hand. I also used cottage cheese + 1 egg to substitute for ricotta cheese (I actually prefer this and use this in my lasagna recipe also). All of the ingredients are kind of up to you as well…marinara, cheeses, etc.
Hot Sausage and Pepper Baked Penne
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. pasta of choice (I used penne)
- 2 teaspoons EVOO
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped (I only had small on hand)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3/4 lb. hot Italian sausage
- 1. 5 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups marinara of choice
- 16 oz. cottage cheese
- 1 egg
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package.
- Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add chopped peppers and onion and sausage. Cook until veggies are soft and meat is browned.
- In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, and 3 Tablespoons parmesan.
- Combine pasta, cheese mixture, sausage mix, and 1.5 cups marinara.
- Pour into a casserole dish or a 9x 13 pan. Spoon remaining marinara over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
This recipe makes a lot! Our family of four ate less than half, so we had leftovers for the next day. I love meals that provide protein, carb, and veggies all in one! The hot sausage wasn’t very “hot”. I think the hot just gives it some extra flavor. I served with a caesar salad and garlic bread. Everyone was satisfied and I’m going to keep this on in the rotation!
I hope you’ll try this recipe for how to make hot sausage and pepper baked penne! XO
