Easy sausage pasta bake

Method 1

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

8 thick pork sausages, skin removed, meat crumbled

400g tin chopped tomatoes

300ml/10½fl oz vegetable stock

50g/1¾oz butter

50g/1¾oz plain flour

500ml/18fl oz milk

400g/14oz penne pasta

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and gently cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

Crumble in the sausagemeat and fry until coloured on all sides. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and turn down the heat. Gently simmer for 10 minutes while you make the white sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir to mix. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture has taken on a biscuit-coloured appearance. Slowly add the milk, bit by bit, whisking as you add to prevent any lumps from forming. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken slightly then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile cook the penne in a pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and pour into the pan with the sausage and tomato mixture. Mix well. Pour this into a medium-sized ovenproof baking dish. Pour over the white sauce and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.

Method 2

Ingredients (Serves 4)

300g (10 oz) pasta (penne or fusilli work well)

6 pork sausages (or use sausage meat)

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

400g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp dried Italian herbs (or mixed herbs)

100g (1 cup) grated cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional: chili flakes, fresh basil, or grated Parmesan

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / 400°F / Gas mark 6.

Cook the pasta: Boil in salted water for 2–3 minutes less than the package says (it’ll finish cooking in the oven). Drain and set aside.

Cook the sausages:

Remove sausage meat from casings.

Heat a little oil in a pan, then cook the sausage meat until browned and broken into chunks. Set aside.

Make the sauce:

In the same pan, add a bit more oil if needed. Sauté onion until soft (about 5 mins), then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Stir in chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, herbs, salt, pepper, and optional chili flakes.

Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir the sausage meat back in.

Combine:

Mix the drained pasta with the sausage sauce. Pour into a baking dish.

Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly on top.

Bake:

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly on top.

Serve hot, optionally with a side salad or garlic bread.

Comments

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