Baked Sausage Parmesan Penne
You may ask what Baked Sausage Parmesan Penne is? Well to honor the inspiration it is Penne al forno Salsiccia Parmigiano in Italian. You probably will not find it on a table in Italy, but this is America. One of those days where dinner was sneaking up and I did not want to have to go the store so we used ingredients on hand.
I looked in the pantry and saw some Penne. Well that and a little Tomato Sauce and we are good to go. Of course I had to find some kind of meat to go in it. The jeers are louder when there is no meat. I really should stop teaching the children that! Imagine my surprise when I found some Smoked Sausage. Here is the recipe I came up with.
- 16 oz. package dry penne pasta
- ½ pound Smoked Sausage
- ½ onion chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup White Merlot
- 32 oz. Tomato Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Herbs
- 1½ cup Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Heat a pot of water to boiling and then cook the pasta to Al Dente (6-8 minutes).Drain
- In a saucepan add butter and cook over medium heat
- Add the chopped onions and sauté for 5 minutes
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes
- Add the white merlot to deglaze the pan and simmer for 1 minute
- Add the tomato sauce and sausage
- Add the herbs
- Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced
- In a greased casserole dish add ½ the pasta
- Add half the meat sauce mixture
- Add half the Mozzarella Cheese
- Add remaining pasta
- Add remaining Mozzarella Cheese
- Top with remaining Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan cheese
- Bake Covered for 30 minutes. Remove cover after 20 minutes to brown cheese
This little treat smells so good when baking. It will cause the kids to run in and ask what is for dinner. This basic recipe is sort of a base for me in my cooking. There are many times I will add or subtract different things depending on need or availability.
It is perfect to mix in some vegetables that the Children need to eat. It also allows you to cut back on the meat portions a little bit. It is a perfect meal with a loaf of bread. One of these days I am going to perfect an Italian Sourdough bread. Guess I better get the starter ready.
GB²