Sausage Pasta Bake

Ingredients

1/2lb. rigatoni

1 lb. pork sausage

1 tbsp.olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 tsp. chili powder

1 can (14oz) chopped tomatoes

1/2 C. chicken broth

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

5 1/2 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain & set aside. Spray a large oven proof dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut the sausage into slices.

2) Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan & saute the onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage slices to the pot. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chili powder. Cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, broth & sugar. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the pasta, basil, salt & pepper & stir to combine.

3) Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Bake pasta until golden and bubbly, 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Prep: 30 minutes

Bake: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 4

A great idea would be to replace the sausage with 1 lb. meatballs. Fry until cooked through and add into step 2.