Blanching the sausage is the key to reducing the fat content in this Healthy Pasta and Sausage Casserole. Delicious flavor with less fat!
Looking for a Sunday night meal or just some good comfort food? My family LOVES this Healthy Pasta and Sausage Casserole. Loaded with sausage, mushrooms, shell pasta and mozzarella cheese. In addition, it’s packed with flavor and because the sausage is blanched, there’s a lot less fat in this casserole.
A great thing about this casserole is that it can be made ahead of time and then just popped in the oven when getting ready to eat. Grab a nice loaf of crusty bread and make a Romaine salad topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and black olives and you’ve got yourself one delicious meal! Another great thing about this casserole is that you can freeze it. Just wrap it well with heavy duty foil and place it in the freezer for up to three months. It’s great to have a meal already made for those busy nights! Just take it out of the freezer the night before and put it in the refrigerator to thaw. Then bake at 350 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
Healthy Pasta and Sausage Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 oz Italian sausage mild or hot
- 2 med onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 lb medium pasta shells
- 8 oz (1 package) shredded mozzarella cheese, part skim
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prick the sausage casing with a fork and add to the pot. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes, (casing should be pale). This will allow some of the fat from the sausage to boil out.
- Remove the sausage from the water. Once cool enough to handle, remove the casing, then chop the sausage.
- Add the sausage to deep skillet or pan and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and cook until softened and translucent.
- Drop in the mushrooms and cook until tender, reduce heat to medium low.
- Add tomato sauce and basil, mix and reduce heat to low.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain the pasta.
- Place about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, making sure to cover the bottom.
- Top with 1/2 of the pasta, spreading evenly.
- Add another 1/3 of the sauce, then the rest of the pasta.
- Cover the top with remaining sauce and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and just browning, sauce should be bubbling.
- Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: layer sauce and pasta and let casserole cool completely. Top with cheese. Cover with heavy duty foil and freeze for up to three months. Take casserole out a night before use and place in the refrigerator to thaw. Bake at 350 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
For other delicious casseroles try:
Loaded Baked Potato and Chicken Casserole
Healthy Pasta and Sausage Casserole
Equipment
- 1 9X13x2 Baking Dish
- 1 Pot for cooking pasta
- 1 Deep Fry pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 8 oz Italian sausage mild or hot
- 2 med onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
- 8 oz mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 28 oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp basil
- 1 lb medium pasta shells
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese part skim
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Prick the sausage casing with a fork and add to the pot. Boil for about 2-3 minutes, (casing should be pale). This will allow some of the fat from the sausage to boil out.
- Remove the sausage from the water. Once cool enough to handle, remove the casing, then chop the sausage.
- Add the sausage to deep skillet or pan and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add onion and garlic and cook until softened and translucent.
- Drop in the mushrooms and cook until tender, reduce heat to medium low.
- Add tomato sauce and basil, mix and reduce heat to low.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain the pasta.
- Place about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, making sure to cover the bottom.
- Top with 1/2 of the pasta, spreading evenly.
- Add another 1/3 of the sauce, then the rest of the pasta.
- Cover the top with remaining sauce and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and just browning, sauce should be bubbling.
- Remove from oven, serve and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: layer sauce and pasta and let casserole cool completely. Top with cheese. Cover with heavy duty foil and freeze for up to three months. Take casserole out a night before use and place in the refrigerator to thaw. Bake at 350 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and just starting to brown.
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