Sausage Macaroni Casserole

About This Recipe

This Sausage Macaroni Casserole is loaded with vegetables, oven-baked whole wheat pasta, and finished with golden, melted mozzarella—comfort food made easy.

Ingredients

• 14 ounces chicken sausage (casings removed)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 medium red pepper (chopped)
• 1 medium yellow pepper (chopped)
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 cup mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes (drained)
• 2 cups marinara sauce (homemade or jarred)
• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning ( or dried thyme)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded )
• 8 ounces uncooked DeLallo whole wheat

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large deep non-stick skillet, brown the sausage over high heat until cooked through, seasoning with a pinch of salt and breaking it up into smaller pieces as it cooks. Set aside on a dish.
3. Add olive oil to the skillet, reduce heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and peppers; sauté until the vegetables soft, about 6 to 7 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet along with the remaining ingredients except for the pasta and cheese.
4. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Spoon just enough of the sausage/vegetable mixture to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
5. Cover with the uncooked pasta. Spoon remaining sauce mixture evenly over the top to cover the pasta and sprinkle with cheese.
6. Cover tight with foil and bake 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Divide into 8 servings.