This rich and tasty sausage pasta bake is packed with chunks of Italian sausage, bratwurst and broccoli making it a great choice for an easy dinner!
Because life has been so busy lately and with no real signs of slowing down, making easy one pan dinners that everyone in the family will love to eat can be a challenge. Pasta is always my go-to for a quick meal because it's super simple, fast and you can add so many other items and end up with a full meal!
You can save even more time making this sausage pasta bake by using a jar of your favorite pasta sauce, but using quality canned tomatoes is just as easy and you know exactly what went into it.
How to cook your sausage pasta bake
You'll need a 13 x 9inch oven safe dish prepared with a light spray of cooking. I use a combination of sweet Italian sausage and bratwurst just to boost the flavor.
The sausage meat ends up being really chunky and not like how ground beef would be. That's one of the best things about this dish, the big chunky pieces of sausage cooked in a rich tomato sauce.
Using hot and spicy Italian sausage would be a great option if the rest of the family don't mind the extra heat.
Best tomatoes to use for this recipe
Whole plum tomatoes in sauce, preferably San Marzano Italian tomatoes. You'll need to roughly chop them or crush them with your hand before you add them to the cooked sausage meat.
Tomato paste is also added with some balsamic vinegar to give the sauce a deep rich flavor.
What type of pasta can I use?
I used fusilli spirals but penne, farfalle, and rigatoni would all work perfectly for this sausage pasta bake. The pasta should already be cooked and 2 cups of dry fusilli will yield enough pasta, about 3 cups to mix with the sausage and broccoli.
How many will this recipe feed?
This 13 x 9 dish will feed 6-8 depending on appetites and who asks for seconds. Both of my kids had two giant bowls and we still had some leftovers for lunch the next day.
Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container or keep it in the 13 x 9 and cover with foil or plastic wrap to keep out the air. Store in the refrigerator
Best vegetables to add?
Even though I used broccoli, you could use cauliflower, diced eggplant, asparagus, zucchini or any other favorite vegetable. The most important thing to remember is to keep the size around one-inch square for even cooking.
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