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!
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INGREDIENTS
Nutrition- 1lb Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
- 1⁄8cup olive oil
- 1teaspoon fennel seed
- 1
- 1
- 1⁄4teaspoon cumin
- 1red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1
- 1
- 1(700 ml) jar tomato sauce
- 1⁄2cup dry red wine
- 1⁄4cup chopped basil
- 3cups penne
- 1⁄2cup of pasta cooking water
- 3⁄4
- 1⁄2cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1tablespoon chopped parsley
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DIRECTIONS
- Prick sausages in several places.
- Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan set over medium high heat.
- Add sausages& cook until evenly browned- about 8 minutes.
- Remove from pan& cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add onions to fat remaining in pan& saute for about 5 minutes.
- Return sausages to pan.
- Add fennel, garlic, cumin, peppers& celery; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Drain excess fat from pan.
- Stir tomato sauce, basil& wine into sausage mixture.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat& simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook penne, according to package directions until el dente (about 10 minutes).
- Drain- reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- Combine sausage mixture, pasta & reserved cooking liquid in a 5 litre casserole dish.
- Mix well.
- Combine Mozarella& Parmesan cheese and parsley.
- Stir into the pasta mixture.
- Bake in preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes.
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