Penne & Italian Sausage Bake

This is my adaptation of a recipe in a Liquor Control Board of Ontario magazine. I usually serve it with Caesar salad & garlic bread and its always been given "2 thumbs up" by my friends & family. You can increase the heat by using hot sausages & adding more cumin - or cayenne or red pepper flakes - according to your own taste! Please note that the starch in the pasta cooking liquid will thicken the sauce when the casserole is baking!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  lb  Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
• 1⁄8 cup olive oil
• 1  teaspoon fennel seed
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cumin
• 1  red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1  green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1  stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 (700 ml) jar tomato sauce
• 1⁄2 cup dry red wine
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped basil
• 3  cups penne
• 1⁄2 cup  of pasta cooking water
• 3⁄4 lb mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese
• 1  tablespoon  chopped parsley

Directions

1. Prick sausages in several places.
2. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan set over medium high heat.
3. Add sausages& cook until evenly browned- about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from pan& cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
5. Add onions to fat remaining in pan& saute for about 5 minutes.
6. Return sausages to pan.
7. Add fennel, garlic, cumin, peppers& celery; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
8. Drain excess fat from pan.
9. Stir tomato sauce, basil& wine into sausage mixture.
10. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat& simmer for 15 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, cook penne, according to package directions until el dente (about 10 minutes).
12. Drain- reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
13. Combine sausage mixture, pasta & reserved cooking liquid in a 5 litre casserole dish.
14. Mix well.
15. Combine Mozarella& Parmesan cheese and parsley.
16. Stir into the pasta mixture.
17. Bake in preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes.