Baked Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Penne

By bdjrempel

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound penne
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into coins or remove casings and break up into small pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup softened sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 6 cups milk
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese
• 1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
• Fresh basil ribbons, for garnish (if desired)

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from howcrazycooks.com

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a shallow 4 quart baking dish, or a combination of baking dishes that equal 4 quarts.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high, add sausage and cook until brown. Set aside.

While the sausage is browning, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to 3 minutes short of al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Set aside.

In a 6-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add 6 cups of milk while constantly whisking. Bring to a simmer, whisking often.

Add black pepper, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, and cooked sausage. Cook 1-2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and gently stir in asiago cheese and spinach. Check seasonings and add salt or more pepper if necessary.

Stir pasta into the pot and then spoon into the baking dish or dishes. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil ribbons if desired.

Note: This can be prepared through step 6 and frozen for later. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and cover with foil. When you’re ready to eat, remove dish from the freezer. Remove plastic wrap and re-cover dish with foil. Bake at 400 on a rimmed baking sheet until hot and bubbly, about 90 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more, or until the top is golden brown.