Cheesy Baked Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage Recipe

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Cooking With Anadi

12K subscribers · spicy sausage, marinara and melted cheese baked together

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A few weeks ago, we found an old picture of this casserole and my wife loves pasta and was after me to have this on the weekend. I love pasta too but the way that she gets excited, I don’t think anybody can be the same over a good pasta dish! And I taught her how to say “I want food now” in Hindi and all day she was like “Khana do abhi!“.

Well so we made it! This is an older pasta recipe of mine, but it is indeed a timeless classic, and it was great to fall in love with it again! To enjoy a nice warm pasta dinner with candle light, a super special night. And the dinner was absolutely splendid, and both of us love eating. If you want to put your heart on a plate for a pasta lover in your life, then definitely prepare this Cheesy Baked Penne with Italian Sausage as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! You can get started today for free by signing up to my email newsletter, plus all of my latest recipes will be sent straight to your inbox!

For a visual representation of how this extraordinary meaty and cheesy penne casserole comes together, then don’t forget to watch the video! If you’re not already, it would mean a lot if you would please subscribe to my YouTube channel, and press the bell button to be notified when all of my video recipes are live! Let’s get cooking!

Tools Needed for Delicious Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Mixing bowl
• Mortar and pestle
• Non-stick pan
• Wooden spoon
• Blender
• Sharp chef’s knife
• Garlic press
• Pepper mill
• Pot
• Casserole
• Spatula
• Sieve

Ingredients for Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

For all ingredients and their quantities and to save the recipe for later, be sure to check out the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card by scrolling to the bottom of this post or by pressing the “Jump to Recipe” button. You will also be able to scale the recipe based on how many portions of pasta you want to make so that you have the right amount of marinara and sausage for each portion!

Spicy Calabrian Pepper Sausage

• Ground chicken: I’ve used minced chicken for this recipe, but you can use substitute with minced turkey or minced pork depending on what you have on hand or what you prefer.
• Green chilies: Chopped fresh green chilies. You could also use green pepper or Serrano pepper.
• Calabrian chili pepper paste: Where I am, this is labeled as “bomba.” You could also use packaged Calabrian chili peppers.
• Fennel seeds: To give a nice aroma to the sausage.
• Anise seeds: Adds tremendous flavor in the sausage.
• Honey: Sweetness to balance out the heat.
• Water
• Salt and pepper: Essential seasoning to enhance the flavors in the sausage.

Marinara Sauce

• San Marzano Italian Tomatoes: Do NOT use regular canned tomatoes! San Marzano tomatoes are special tomatoes that are grown in a specific region in Italy that have much more flavor!
• Olive oil: My preference is extra virgin olive oil. It has lots of nutritional properties and has a great flavor!
• Garlic cloves: Freshly minced garlic cloves will give the best flavor.
• Red chili flakes: A touch to add some heat in our marinara sauce.
• Salt

For the Penne and Sausage Bake

• Penne rigate pasta: I recommend you get penne rigate, which is the version with the ridges, instead of the lisce, which is smooth. I prefer rigate because the sauce and meat stick to it nicely.
• Mozzarella: A block of fresh part-skimmed mozzarella that will be grated for some epic cheesiness!
• Provolone: Adds some extra pulls and cheesiness.
• Fresh basil: You will cut this into a chiffonade for garnish.

How to Make Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

Preparing the Sausage

Begin by crushing the fennel seeds and the anise seeds in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, measure and arrange the whole spices on a paper towel.

Fold the paper towel over the seeds, making sure to have the spices gather in one spot. Using the back of a knife or a rolling pin to crush the seeds. It does not need to be completely powdered, the coarseness adds to the texture and flavor of the sausage. Crush just enough to break down the spices and release their flavor and fragrance.

In a large bowl, add the minced meat (chicken/turkey/pork) and mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

View the full Spicy Calabrian Sausage recipe for more details!

Preparing the Sauce

Place the tomatoes in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds to break down the tomatoes.

Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add garlic and chili flakes and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add in the pulsed San Marzano tomatoes and salt. Bring sauce to a simmer. Lower heat and cook for 10-15 minutes or until your sauce reduces and has a thick consistency.

For more details on preparing the sauce, check out the full Classic Italian Marinara Sauce recipe!

Preparing the Penne Pasta Bake with Sausage

Preheat oven at 400 F and boil water to cook the pasta for about 7-8 minutes, or until al dente.

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Heat the marinara or prepare the marinara if you have not already in a pan and add cooked pasta, mix well to coat.

Transfer the pasta into a casserole and add the sausage. Mix well and then toss the mozzarella cubes. Tear the provolone and add in as well. Mix lightly to layer the cheese and then bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese browns slightly.

Transfer casserole to oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. While the pasta is cooking, chiffonade the basil by stacking 7-8 basil leaves, rolling them tightly into a cigar and slicing the basil thinly.

Top pasta with fresh basil, serve hot and enjoy:)

How to Serve Cheesy Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

This Baked Penne with Italian Sausage recipe is certainly hearty on its own! However, if you want to make it a complete meal, here are some sides and appetizers that will make this a dinner to remember!

• Air Fryer Waffle Fries
• Garlic Butter Broccoli
• Arugula Goat Cheese Salad
• Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
• Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
• Easy Cheesy Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
• Easy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

This Isn't Store-Bought Italian Sausage — Here's What's Actually In It

This isn't a store-bought Italian pork sausage, and there's no jarred Italian seasoning blend or garlic salt anywhere in it. It's ground chicken (ground turkey and ground pork both work as a swap) mixed with just 1/8 tsp each of fennel and anise seeds, 1 tsp Calabrian chili paste, 1 tsp honey, and 1 tsp water. Two tsp of olive oil browns it before it joins 6 oz of penne rigate, a batch of homemade marinara, 1/2 to 1 cup of diced mozzarella, and 2 slices of provolone in the casserole, plus 2 tbsp of fresh basil on top. There's no parmesan cheese or cream cheese in this dish, and no cup of water stirred into the sauce either. Nothing here is measured in lb, only oz, tsp, tbsp and cups, for a bake that serves four.

Nutrition Per Serving

One serving of this bake, of the four it makes, comes to 442 calories, with 22 g of protein, 42 g of carbohydrates (39 g net once you subtract the 3 g of fiber), 21 g of fat, 7 g of sugar, and 540 mg of sodium.

Drain the pasta well before you toss it with the marinara. This recipe doesn't call for any reserved cup water from boiling the pasta; the marinara alone is enough to coat everything once the pasta is drained. The casserole also bakes uncovered the whole time, no foil tenting before or after it goes in the oven, so the cheese browns properly on top.

Food Safety, Allergens, and a Second Helping

Because the sausage is made with raw ground chicken, wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling raw meat, and use a separate utensil and bowl for it. Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink and the sausage reaches the minimum internal temperature of 165°F, which is one of the minimum internal cooking temperatures recommended for ground poultry. The casserole then goes into a hot oven at 400°F and bakes just until the cheese browns slightly.

This bake contains wheat pasta and dairy from the mozzarella and provolone. If you or a guest have serious allergies, read the ingredient labels on the pasta, the marinara ingredients, and the Calabrian chili paste, and don't assume a substitute ingredient is certified allergen-free. The nutrition facts are per serving, and the recipe makes 4: 442 calories, 22 g of protein, and 39 g of net carbs (42 g carbohydrates minus 3 g fiber).

A few small prep notes: the sausage mix and the marinara are both seasoned with salt to taste, so start with a pinch of salt and adjust as you go. The mozzarella is diced into bite-size pieces and tossed in, while the provolone is torn. Spread the pasta in an even layer in the casserole before baking. It's cheesy and hearty enough that a second helping is tempting. Bon appétit!

Baked Penne Measurements, Heat, and What Is Not in It

This penne pasta bake is built from small amounts. The sausage uses 6 ounces of ground chicken, 1 teaspoon of chopped green chili, 1 teaspoon of Calabrian chili paste, 1/8 teaspoon each of fennel and anise seeds, 1 teaspoon of honey, and 1 teaspoon of water, with salt, pepper, and crushed chili flakes to taste. The pasta side uses 6 ounces of penne rigate, 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1/2 cup of diced mozzarella, 2 slices of provolone, and 2 tablespoons of fresh basil. Calabrian chili paste is what gives the sausage its kick; if you only have red pepper flakes, use 1/2 tsp for a less smoky heat.

Cook the sausage in a pan over medium heat, not medium-high heat, stirring and breaking it up until it is no longer pink. Cook the penne until al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes or according to the package directions, then use drained pasta and stir it into the warm marinara until it's well coated.