Baked Sausage Pasta

It was a cold day today and it even started raining by 3pm. Nice! Cold, wet weather for San Clemente...I LOVE IT! I wanted to make something warm and comforting for dinner. Yup, baked pasta was the answer. The boys really loved this and gobbled it up. They also asked to have leftovers for lunch at school tomorrow. :)

This was really yummy!

The baked fontina on top is delicious...

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Fontina and Basil

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta - fusilli, elbows or shells
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage, casings removed (not pre-cooked sausage)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6-8 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 3 c marinara sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• sliced fontina cheese, enough to cover pasta dish x 2 (~3/4 lb, discard red wax)
• 1/2 cup basil chiffonade (I chopped mine but chiffonade would've looked much nicer.)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. 
2. In large pot, cook pasta according to package directions but ONE MINUTE LESS than required. Drain pasta and set aside.
3. In large skillet over medium heat, add sausages and break up into small pieces. Cook until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. 
4. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from skillet and put into EMPTY large pot used for cooking pasta. Leave oil and fat in skillet. 
5. In remaining oil from sausages, cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook another minute. Add marinara sauce and diced tomatoes and cook over medium heat till sauce is hot and bubbling. 
6. Season with salt and pepper. 
7. Add sauce to large pot with sausage. Add pasta back to pot. Mix well.
8. Spray 9x13" dish with olive oil.
9. *Scoop half pasta mixture into 9x13" dish. Cover dish with sliced fontina cheese. Scoop remaining pasta into dish. Top with more sliced fontina cheese.
10. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted. 
11. Remove from oven and top with basil chiffonade. 
12. Let sit 5 mins before serving. ENJOY!

NOTE:

*I baked the pasta dish with only one layer of cheese on top. The boys thought a little more cheese would've been yummy so I included Step #9 so that I remember to try that next time. If you prefer less cheese, simply fill dish with pasta and top with one layer of sliced cheese. :)

Source: Adapted from Week of Menus