Turkey Italian Sausage, Mushroom, Marinara, and Ricotta Pasta Bake

This recipe is a mouthful to say but it is absolutely delicious to eat! I had a jar of marinara sauce to use up as well as some turkey Italian sausage so I decided to make a pasta bake. I loved how creamy and moist the ricotta made the pasta and I really enjoyed the chunks of Italian sausage in every bite. This dish was a big hit with the whole family (except my daughter who doesn’t like cheese). My son had 2 helpings and wanted some the following day for lunch.

Turkey Italian Sausage, Mushroom, Marinara, Ricotta Pasta Bake:

Ingredients:

• 5 turkey Italian Sausage links, cooked thoroughly
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 8 oz button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• red, orange, yellow baby bell peppers, sliced
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Dash of red crushed pepper flakes
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8 oz of farfalle or pasta of your choice, cooked per instructions
• 3/4 cup non fat ricotta cheese
• 3 tbsp fresh basil, chiffonade (more for garnishing)
• 1 jar of marinara sauce of choice
• 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp Asiago cheese

How to Make Turkey Italian Sausage, Mushroom, Marinara, and Ricotta Pasta Bake

Cook the turkey Italian sausage links in a skillet over medium heat until completely cooked through. Let the sausage cool then chop up into small bite-size pieces.

Add the olive oil to the same skillet then add the mushrooms, onions, and peppers; season with fennel, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, to taste, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the minced garlic then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

While the mushrooms are cooking, cook the pasta per instructions. Drain. Add the sausage and mushroom mixture to the pasta then add the ricotta cheese, fresh basil, and marinara sauce. Mix until well combined. Taste and re-season if needed.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish then sprinkle the cheeses on top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes then remove the cover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Garnish the top with more fresh basil then serve. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe – For the Love of Cooking.net