This insanely delicious sausage pasta bake tastes exactly like a lasagne but with much less effort. Cooked pasta in a creamy tomato sauce flavored with sausages, crispy bacon and topped with parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Baked to golden perfection, this cheesy pasta bake is truly one the whole family will enjoy. I promise, you will love this.
Hello! There are certain dishes I get really excited writing up as I just KNOW you'll love it. As much as I absolutely love my best bolognese sauce (and lasagne bolognese) this has as much flavour but takes such little time in comparison. A little more doable for a busy weeknight but also impressive enough to cook for family and friends.
It is super simple to make using a mixture of pork and beef sausages to flavour the slightly creamy tomato sauce. Crisp bacon adds some punch and the mixture of parmesan and mozzarella give a melty but golden topping. If this is your first time making a pasta bake, you're in for a real treat!
For more baked pasta recipes, try:
- Best Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
- Nduja Mac and Cheese
- Baked Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Leeks
- Best Lasagne Bolognese Recipe
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Why you'll love this recipe
Feeds a crowd - I LOVE cooking this for a dinner party as it is such a crowd pleaser. Place it in the middle of the table and watch people fight over it. Make some vegetable sides and have some bread on the table to make it go further.
Easier than a lasagne - Look, we all love lasagne but it's a bit of a mission right? This still takes a little bit of time but it's nowhere near as much work and has really simple ingredients.
Customize - Use any sausages you like the flavor of. You can also use a marinara sauce instead of a plain passata if you want to add some more flavor.
Make ahead - Like most pasta bake recipes, you can assemble and then freeze or refrigerate before cooking. It's a great one to take to someone's house unbaked then bake there.
Main ingredients
Pasta - Baked ziti is the traditional option but not always easy to find so you could use penne pasta or elicoidali like I have. Undercooking it by a minute or two from package directions is key to make sure it is still al dente after baking.
Bacon - I like to use streaky bacon but use whatever you like.
Sausages - Using raw sausages instead of pure ground meat adds so much more flavour. I use a combination of pork and fennel and beef sausages. Use whatever you like, you could use all pork or all beef. Alternatively you could use chicken sausage too.
Tomato passata - this is a smooth tomato sauce which can also be called tomato puree. It is NOT tomato paste. It makes the meat sauce thicker and more luscious. I tested this recipe first with canned tomatoes and the sauce was a lot thinner as canned tomatoes are more watery. If you can't find passata then substitute for 2 x 400g cans tomatoes. Puree them really well. You could also use a marinara sauce.
Cream - It's not a full creamy sauce but just a touch of cream makes the sauce texture so luscious and really helps give it that lasagne feel. Use a light or single cream, heavy cream is too thick.
Cheese - This is quite a cheesy sausage pasta bake! There is a mix of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. I use parmesan cheese in the actual pasta sauce as well as on top. Try and find a block of mozzarella so you can grate it yourself.
Expert tips:
- Undercook your pasta! It is key to undercook by 1 - 2 minutes from package instructions so that it is still al dente after being baked.
- Reserve some pasta water. I like to add a splash of pasta water to the sauce to make it even saucier.
- Separate the cheese amounts. I know it is a bit of admin but there are different amounts of cheeses for each layer. Grate the entire amount I specify then weigh out the amounts. The sauce itself gets 40 grams of parmesan added then 30 grams in each layer. The mozzarella has 300 grams in total, 100 grams in first layer and 200 grams in last layer.
- Take your time! I know I say this is 'easy' but there are still some processes. Give yourself some time the first time you make it then it will be a breeze the next!
How to make this recipe
The full method and tutorial video are in the recipe card below.
How to make the sauce
ONE: Over a medium-high heat, fry the bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven until crisp and golden, set aside. Also get a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
TWO: Lower to a medium heat, cook the onion until soft and then add the garlic and fennel seeds. Add a drizzle of olive oil if you need.
THREE: Add the sausage meat and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until almost cooked through.
FOUR: Add the passata to the cooked sausage and mix through thoroughly.
FIVE: Add the cream, mix in really well and bring to a very gentle simmer. Barely bubbling though.
SIX: Add the first lot of grated parmesan (40 grams) and mix in.
SEVEN: Add the cooked bacon back in along with the black pepper and lemon juice. Have it barely bubbling as you finish cooking the pasta. Add a ¼ cup of pasta water, mix well and then reserve a cup of the sauce.
EIGHT: Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Take off the heat and let it cool ever so slightly before assembling in the baking dish.
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.
ONE: In a 9 x 13 inch (or there abouts) casserole dish place half of the pasta mixture into an even layer.
TWO: Sprinkle the grated lemon zest on top evenly.
THREE: Follow with 30 grams of parmesan and 100 grams mozzarella cheese.
FOUR: Place the other half of the pasta mixture on top.
FIVE: Sprinkle the remaining 30 grams of parmesan and 200 grams of mozzarella on top.
SIX: Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown on top. You can cover with some aluminum foil if it is browning too quickly.
Recipe FAQs
There is so much flavour going on here so I would serve with a simple side salad and some crusty bread! My favourite side for pasta is my Easy Iceberg Wedge Salad, it's perfect with this!
Yes absolutely! Assemble the pasta bake then wait for it to cool completely before storing in the fridge or freezer. If freezing then let it defrost for 24 hours in the fridge. It will need to be cooked longer in the oven if cooking from the fridge the next day, add an extra 10 minutes and cover with foil if it gets too brown.
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.
Traditionally it is ziti and penne is very similar to that. I have used both but have also tested it with rigatoni pasta and it was perfect.
Some other delicious recipes to try
I have lots of pasta dishes I know you will come to love and depend on! If you love a meaty sauce and have a bit more time then please make my White Pork Ragu! The original recipe that inspired this sauce is my Creamy Tomato and Sausage Pasta. For another baked option look no further than my Nduja Mac and Cheese.
A vegetarian pasta bake
If you loved this pasta bake then definitely try my Cheesy Baked Gnocchi in a Roasted Tomato Sauce next time. It's a lighter option and is vegetarian if you leave out the anchovies in the sauce. One for the entire family!
Roasting the sauce ingredients brings an amazing depth of flavour and it's a really simple dish to make. Not to mention completely delicious too!
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
Easy and Delicious Sausage Pasta Bake
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Ingredients
- 400 grams pasta I used elicoidali but penne, ziti or rigatoni will work
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 250 grams bacon cut into bite size pieces
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds
- 500 grams sausages meat squeezed out of casings (see notes)
- 690 gram jar of passata see notes
- ⅔ cup light or single cream
- 100 grams parmesan divided and finely grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus the zest
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 300 grams mozzarella grated (see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350f (180c)
- Heat the butter in a large skillet or dutch oven over a medium - high heat and fry the bacon until golden, about 10 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings behind.
- Turn the heat down slightly and add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the sausage meat, you might need to turn the heat back up slightly.
- Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until pretty much cooked through. 5 - 6 minutes.
- Get the pasta cooking in a big pot of well salted water.
- 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 along with the lemon juice and pepper then taste to see how much salt to add. You want it on the saltier side as the pasta will dilute it.
- Very gently simmer the sauce on a low heat for 10 mins while the pasta cooks. You could alternatively cook the pasta first, drain it and toss with a teaspoon of butter while you make the sauce.
- Cook the pasta a minute or two shorter than what the packet says. Very important as you don't want it to overcook in the oven.
- Reserve a cup of the sauce and set aside then mix the cooked pasta into the rest of it.
- See photos above for assembly.
- In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish (22cm x 33cm) place half of the pasta mixture.
- Top with an even sprinkling of the lemon zest and then 100 grams of the mozzarella and 30 grams of the parmesan.
- Top with the remaining pasta then evenly distribute the extra cup of sauce over the top in dollops.
- Top with the remaining 200 grams of mozzarella and remaining 30 grams of parmesan.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is nicely golden brown.
- Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Robert Young says
Can I use double cream for this? I'm always wary of using single incase I split it
Emilie Pullar says
Yes definitely! 🙂
Andrea says
Made this for the family including two boys 6&9. My eldest said “it might be even better than Spaghetti bolognese mum”. Which is HIGH praise indeed. Delicious, easy weeknight recipe Em!
Mr Sausage says
Made this for a family get together and went down a storm. Everyone queued up for seconds which is generally a good sign!
Emilie Pullar says
haha love that!! Thanks so much for making 🙂
Jess says
Made this for 4 adults and 2 kids (aged 4 and 7) with a side salad and it was delicious!! Everyone went back for seconds and will definitely be going into regular rotation for family meals! Love that you can prep in advance too and the lemon and zest was a great wee kick. Crowd pleaser for sure!
Jess Clements says
Such a tasty and filling meal! Super easy directions and pictures to follow. We made it with DF cheese and cream, and GF pasta. Lots of leftovers which we love. You won’t be disappointed!
Dave Rowlands says
This is one of my faves - so moorish!
Emilie Pullar says
So glad you love it Dave! 🙂
Tish says
This was absolutely delicious. I’m not too sure about ‘easy bake’. I found it very stressful. Luckily I had my husband at hand. However, I would recommend and I’ll definitely be having it again.
Emilie Pullar says
So sorry you found it stressful!! Thanks so much for making and hope it is easier next time 🙂