This sausage pasta bake is the ultimate comfort dinner, made with a rich tomato sauce, crispy bacon and plenty of melted cheese. The pasta is tossed through a glossy tomato sauce with sausage, then topped with parmesan and mozzarella and baked until golden and bubbling. It’s easy to make, full of flavor and perfect for a family friendly meal.
Hello! There are certain dishes I get really excited to write up because I just know you’ll love them, and this sausage pasta bake is one of them. As much as I absolutely love my authentic bolognese sauce (and lasagne bolognese), this delivers just as much flavour but in a fraction of the time. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight but still impressive enough for family and friends.
It’s super simple to make, with a mixture of pork and beef sausages flavoring a rich tomato sauce. Crispy bacon adds a little extra punch, while parmesan and mozzarella melt into a golden, bubbling topping. If this is your first time making a pasta bake, you’re in for a real treat.
Why you'll love this recipe
Feeds a crowd - Perfect for dinner parties or family meals. Pop it in the middle of the table and let everyone dig in. Add a couple of simple sides and some bread to make it go even further.
Easier than lasagne - All the comfort of a baked pasta without the extra steps. No layering, no fuss, just mix, top with cheese and bake.
Easy to customise - Use any sausages you like or swap in a marinara sauce for extra flavor.
Make ahead friendly - Assemble ahead and refrigerate or freeze until ready to bake. Perfect for prepping or taking to someone else’s house.
Main ingredients
Pasta - Baked ziti is traditional but not always easy to find, so penne or elicoidali work perfectly (like I’ve used here). Undercook by 1–2 minutes from package instructions so it stays al dente after baking.
Bacon - I like streaky bacon for extra flavor, but use whatever you prefer.
Sausages - Using sausages instead of ground meat adds so much flavor. I used a mix of pork and fennel and beef sausages, but you can use any combination you like. Chicken sausages work too.
Tomato passata - A smooth tomato puree (not tomato paste). It gives the sauce a thicker, more luscious texture. Canned tomatoes tend to be more watery, but if needed you can use 2 x 400g cans and blend well. A marinara sauce will also work.
Cream - Just a small amount adds richness and gives the sauce a really luscious texture. You can use light, single or heavy cream depending on what you have, they all work well here.
Cheese - This is a cheesy one! Parmesan goes into the sauce and on top, with mozzarella for that golden, melty finish. Use a block of mozzarella and grate it yourself for best results.
How to make this recipe
The full method and tutorial video are in the recipe card below. This is a visual overview.
How to make the sauce
1. Over medium-high heat, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven until crisp and golden. Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil for the pasta.
2. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for another minute. Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed.
3. Add the sausage meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through.
4. Pour in the passata and mix well to combine.
5. Stir in the cream and bring to a very gentle simmer (barely bubbling).
6. Add the first lot of grated parmesan (40g) and mix through.
7. Add the cooked bacon back in with the black pepper and lemon juice. Add ¼ cup pasta water and mix well. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce for assembling.
8. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Take off the heat and let it cool slightly before assembling.
How to assemble
It's a good idea to assemble when the pasta mixture has cooled down slightly. I usually let it cool while I grate the cheese.
1. In a 9 x 13 inch (or similar) baking dish, add half the pasta mixture in an even layer.
2. Sprinkle the lemon zest evenly over the top.
3. Top with 30g parmesan and 100g mozzarella.
4. Add the remaining pasta mixture on top.
5. Sprinkle over the remaining 30g parmesan and 200g mozzarella.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown on top. Cover loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.
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Expert tips:
- Undercook the pasta - Cook it 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions so it stays perfectly al dente after baking.
- Reserve pasta water - A splash of pasta water helps loosen the sauce and makes it extra glossy and saucy.
- Weigh and separate the cheese - There are different amounts for the sauce and each layer, so it’s worth measuring properly. Add 40g parmesan to the sauce, then 30g in each layer. For mozzarella, use 100g in the first layer and 200g on top.
- Take your time - It’s an easy recipe, but there are a few steps. Give yourself a little extra time the first go, then it’ll be second nature.
Recipe FAQs
Short pasta shapes like ziti, penne or rigatoni work best as they hold the sauce well and keep their shape when baked. Anything with ridges or tubes is ideal.
Yes! You can assemble the pasta bake, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. You can also freeze it unbaked. If baking from the fridge, add an extra 10–15 minutes to the cooking time.
It's the perfect meal to store after! Transfer portions to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 - 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Some other delicious recipes to try
If you loved this sausage pasta bake then you are in the right place as I have so many other delicious pasta recipes you'll enjoy. Here are a few suggestions.
Did you make this recipe?
I would LOVE it if you could leave a review and star rating down below. Also please tag me on Instagram if you share a photo of the dish!
Recipe
Cheesy Tomato Sausage Pasta Bake
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Ingredients
- 400 grams pasta (elicoidali, penne, ziti or rigatoni)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 250 grams bacon cut into bite size pieces
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds (optional)
- 500 grams sausages (meat squeezed out of casings, see notes)
- 690 gram jar of tomato passata (see notes)
- ⅔ cup cream
- 100 grams parmesan (divded into 40g for sauce, 30g for each layer)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus the zest
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 300 grams mozzarella grated (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
Make the sauce
- Heat the butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings.
- Lower the heat slightly and cook the onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and fennel seeds (if using) and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the sausage meat, increasing the heat slightly if needed. Cook, breaking it up, until mostly cooked through, about 5-6 minutes.
- Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta 1-2 minutes less than the package instructions.
- Add the passata and cream to the sausage mixture and bring to a very gentle simmer.
- Add 40 grams of the parmesan in and mix in until melted.
- Add the bacon back in with the lemon juice and black pepper. Taste and adjust salt, it should be slightly on the salty side as the pasta will dilute the flavor.
- Simmer gently on low heat for 10 minutes while the pasta cooks.
- Reserve 1 cup of the sauce, then mix the drained pasta into the remaining sauce. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Assemble
- See photos above to help with assembly.
- In a 9 x 13 inch (or similar) baking dish, add half the pasta mixture in an even layer.
- Sprinkle over the lemon zest, then 100 grams mozzarella and 30 grams parmesan.
- Add the remaining pasta mixture and spoon over the reserved sauce evenly.
- Top with the remaining 200 grams mozzarella and 30 grams parmesan.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
- Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Laura Mohi Ryan says
So good and so filling! Thank you Xx
Emilie Pullar says
One of my fave recipes to make, thank you so much Laura! X
Jess says
Delicious!! Winner with all children too which is always a bonus. Sent it to all my friends
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much Jess, it's always such an extra win when I hear it was kid approved! 🙂
Karen Naughton says
This was unbelievably good, a huge winner with my teenage boys too. I will definitely be making this again and again!
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad it was teenage approved! That always means a lot! - Em 🙂
Joanna says
This was delicious. We skipped the bacon and used chicken sausage because one of our guests cannot eat pork. I swapped in mascarpone. I loved that you could prep in advance. It made for a very easy dish to have on Christmas.
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you enjoyed it Joanna! Chicken sausage is a fantastic swap! Thank you so much for making it 🙂
Christy Brahney says
How can I get the recipe without grams ?
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Christy, I am so committed to my recipes coming out perfectly and grams is the best way to do that. Sorry if this is frustrating for you. Especially for things like cheese, everyone would pack these into cups so differently and it might turn out really wrong. Hope that make sense 🙂
Heidi says
Quite rich! I decided to instead of making the sausages as sausage meat I’d take them out of the skins and do meatballs instead. Also I like to have veggies in my pasta bake, throwback from vegetarian days ?added fennel as the sausage was fennel and chilli and some courgettes.