Best Baked Pasta With Sausage

Submitted by Boonyas mom

"Another recipe I wish I could take full credit for but my sister served this and I just loved it. It makes an easy company dish."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 1 lb fusilli
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (7 ounce) bag Baby Spinach
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casing removed (veal or pork)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 lb shiitake mushroom, stemmed and sliced
• 1 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese, grated
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons seasoned dry bread crumbs
• salt and black pepper, as needed

directions

1. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than package suggests - drain toss w/ 2 tbsp oil - set aside.
2. Put spinach in large bowl.
3. In skillet cook sausage and break up into small pieces.
4. Spoon cooked sausage and its juice over spinach.
5. Reheat same skillet add oil, onion, mushrooms, cook until mushrooms are tender and onion is softened.
6. Spoon onto sausage/spinach.
7. Add 1 cup cheese - mix well.
8. Preheat oven to 350°F.
9. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat, add flour mix until mixture is smooth.
10. Remove from heat - add milk - return to heat.
11. Whisk constantly until it reaches a simmer and thickens.
12. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.
13. Stir sauce into meat mixture - add pasta and toss well.
14. Spoon into large baking dish.
15. Cover with foil (can refrigerate up to a day at this point).
16. Bake at 350°F 30 minutes - remove foil add breadcrumbs and 2 tsp cheese.
17. Bake 15 minutes - let sit 10 minutes before serving.