Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

Penne tossed with Italian sausage, a rich marinara sauce, spinach, and topped with bubbling mozzarella. Comfort food that feeds a crowd with minimal effort.

Ingredients

750 gItalian pork sausages (casings removed)

500 gpenne pasta

2 tinscrushed tomatoes (400g tins)

2 tbsptomato paste

200 gbaby spinach

250 gmozzarella cheese (shredded)

60 gparmesan cheese (grated)

1 piecesyellow onion

4 piecesgarlic cloves

2 tbspolive oil

2 tspdried oregano

1 tspdried basil

0.5 tspred pepper flakes (optional)

1 tspsalt

0.5 tspblack pepper

0.25 cupsfresh basil (for garnish)

Method

1
1. Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Cook penne in salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than package directions (it will finish in the oven). Drain and set aside.
2
2. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage meat into the pan and cook 6–8 minutes until browned and cooked through.
3
3. Add diced onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4
4. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5
5. Stir in baby spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add cooked penne and half the mozzarella. Toss to combine.
6
6. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Transfer to the oven and bake 15–20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
7
7. Let rest 5 minutes, garnish with fresh basil, and serve.

Sunday Prep

1.Brown the sausage meat fully: remove casings, crumble, and cook in a skillet until done. Let cool completely.
2.Make the marinara base: sauté onion and garlic, then simmer with crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
3.Combine the cooled sausage and marinara sauce together.
4.Portion the sauce-sausage mixture into vacuum bags (full batch or halved).
5.Shred mozzarella and grate parmesan. Store separately in vacuum bags.
6.Wash and dry baby spinach. Store in a vacuum bag with a paper towel.

⚡ Vacuum Sealer Tips

VSVacuum seal the cooked sausage-marinara mixture flat — this reheats quickly on a weeknight and stores well for 5 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen.
VSLet the sauce cool to room temperature before vacuum sealing to avoid poor seals from steam.
VSVacuum seal cheeses separately to maintain freshness; shredded mozzarella lasts much longer vacuum sealed.
VSSpinach can be vacuum sealed on a gentle/pulse setting to avoid crushing the leaves.