Sausage Pasta Bake
This Sausage Pasta Bake is an easy dinner with only 30 mins of prep. It's also freezer friendly and has hidden veggies, making it a great nutritious meal!
Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked rotini or any medium pasta shape
- 1 lb lean mild Italian sausages pork or turkey are both great options
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium zucchinis shredded (with excess water squeezed out) - optional
- 2 cups tomato sauce look for a lower sugar option
- 1 cup full fat cottage cheese
- 2 cups cheese shredded (I like to do a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)
- Fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Cook pasta according to package instructions and carefully remove the sausages from their casing (I find this is easiest by gently slicing the casing with a sharp knife).
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Once hot add the sausages, gently break up the meat using a spatula. Cook, stirring frequently until the mat is fully cooked and no longer pink in colour.
- Once the meat is cooked, add the zucchini to the pan (ensure the excess water is drained from the zucchini by wrapping the shredded zucchini in cheesecloth and squeezing). Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the zucchini is seamlessly mixed in with the meat. Drain any excess liquid from the pan.
- To a 13x9 inch casserole dish, add cooked pasta, cooked meat and zucchini, tomato sauce, cottage cheese and 1 cup of cheese. Stir well to combine.
- Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese and bake for about 30 minutes (uncovered).
- Garnish with basil and enjoy!
Notes
Do not forget to squeeze excess water out of the zucchini once shredded, if this is skipped the meat will become much too wet and will alter the texture of the pasta bake.
Zucchini can be replaced with spinach if preferred. If you prefer to leave the sausages in their casing you can dice up the meat once cooked. Lower fat cottage cheese alternatives can be used however it will result in a slightly less creamy pasta bake. *I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Zucchini can be replaced with spinach if preferred. If you prefer to leave the sausages in their casing you can dice up the meat once cooked. Lower fat cottage cheese alternatives can be used however it will result in a slightly less creamy pasta bake. *I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 781kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1306mg | Potassium: 838mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 911IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 347mg | Iron: 3mg
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