Baked Sausage Penne

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• 8 ounces italian sausage, casings removed (mild or spicy- your choice)
• 6 ounces penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or jarred)
• 2 -3 tablespoons pesto sauce (homemade or jarred)
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1 dash chili flakes
• salt and pepper
• 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 ounce parmesan cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350.
• 2 in a large pot of boiling, salted water; cook the pasta just to al dente. you don't want it mushy, as it will cook more in the oven.
• 3 while pasta is cooking, brown the italian sausage in a saute pan over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces.
• 4 drain any accumulated grease and discard.
• 5 add the marinara sauce, pesto, italian seasoning and chili flakes. stir, and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 5 -6 minutes, until the sauce comes to a boil.
• 6 taste, and add salt, pepper, or more italian seasoning as necessary.
• 7 drain the cooked pasta, and place in a mixing bowl.
• 8 add the sauce mixture and 3 ounces of the shredded cheese. stir to combine.
• 9 coat an 8 x 8 (or similar sized) baking dish with cooking spray.
• 10 place pasta mixture in the baking dish, spreading to fill the dish evenly.
• 11 top with the reaining cheeses.
• 12 you could make ahead to this point, and refrigerate until you are ready to cook, but if so, your baking time will be longer.
• 13 bake, uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.
• 14 let rest for 5 minutes before serving.