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This easy baked penne with sausage recipe has marinara sauce, flavorful Italian sausage, and lots of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. It’s low on effort and big on flavor!
Try my Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup or One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage next.
Why you’ll love it
If you’re a fan of hot and melty cheese, a meaty tomato sauce, and hearty pasta, this baked penne pasta with Italian sausage should definitely be added to your weeknight rotation! It has just 10 minutes of prep for my kind of easy and comforting dinner.
This Italian sausage pasta bake is kind of like a pared-down Baked Ziti. It’s every bit as delicious but with fewer ingredients! It’s pretty much as simple as pasta night can get while still having a tasty flavor payoff. Top it with some fresh basil, and it’s chef’s kiss.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – penne are perfect little tubes for the sauce and hold up great in the oven
- Italian sausage – we’re using mild here, and I really enjoy the texture and seasoning blend in Johnsonville
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet onions like Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.
- Marinara sauce – use a jarred variety you love the taste of! Or make my Easy Marinara Sauce.
- Red pepper flakes – optional, but these give the tomato sauce a slight warmth (not what I’d call spicy)
- Cheese – our tasty duo is mozzarella and freshly grated parmesan
Pro tip
Be careful not to overcook the penne when you’re boiling it because it’ll cook more in the oven.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here’s my cast iron skillet for the sautéing steps and 9×13 baking dish for the oven.
- I highly suggest grating your parm freshly from a block with a Microplane zester.
- Mince the garlic with a quick squeeze of a garlic press. Such a game changer!
How to make baked penne with sausage
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat the oven. Boil the pasta for a couple of minutes less than package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the sausage and onions until browned. Spoon out any excess fat, then stir in the garlic until fragrant. Add in the marinara and red pepper flakes.
Warm the sauce through. Add the drained pasta to a baking dish, then pour on the sauce/meat mixture. Season with salt & pepper, and toss well. Spread it evenly, then top with the mozza and parm. Bake until hot, and broil carefully until golden.
Make ahead tips
- Make this baked penne ahead of time by assembling it according to the instructions below up to the point just before baking it.
- Cover tightly, and then refrigerate it for a day or two or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Bake it, covered with foil, at 350F for 30-40 minutes, or until it’s hot all the way through. Broil it for the last few minutes.
Substitutions and variations
- This recipe is pretty flexible. A bit more/less meat will work fine, or swap the sausage for ground beef or even ground turkey if needed.
- You can swap the mozzarella for cheddar or use a mixture of the two.
- The red pepper flakes don’t make it particularly spicy. You can either omit them or add more if you wish. Or try hot Italian sausage for a kick!
What to serve with this penne pasta bake
- Top it with garden basil or chopped parsley for a pop of freshness.
- I’ll never not recommend a big slice of my Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread for pasta night at home. It just goes so well!
- For a salad, a Caesar salad with my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing and Easy Parmesan Croutons pairs great, or try your usual leafy greens and veggies with my crave-worthy Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers of this baked sausage pasta in the fridge for a few days, letting it cool down first.
- Reheat in the oven for best results.
- You could freeze leftovers (in individual portions) if desired, but it’s not my preference since the texture may change due to the dairy.
If you tried this penne pasta bake with sausage, please leave a star rating and review below. It’s valuable to other readers! Or tag me on Instagram to be featured in my stories.
Easy Baked Penne with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked penne pasta
- 16 ounces Italian sausage see note
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce see note
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella or cheddar
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it for 2 minutes less than the package directions indicate. Once it's done, drain it and add it to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Meanwhile, add the sausage and onion to a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausage has browned (about 8-10 minutes). If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Add in the marinara sauce and red pepper flakes and cook for a couple more minutes until it's warmed through.
- Pour the sausage mixture into the baking dish. I add in some salt & pepper as well. Toss until everything is coated. Smooth it out into an even layer.
- Top with the cheeses and bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese (watch it carefully). Serve immediately.
Notes
- For the sausages, anything around the 16 ounce/1 pound ballpark is fine – it doesn’t need to be exact. You can either buy ground sausage meat or, if using whole sausages, take the meat out of the casings. Here in Canada I use a 500g pack of sausages.
- One 24 oz. jar = 3 cups. Try my homemade marinara sauce if you prefer from-scratch.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on October 31, 2020. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
It was just okay. Made the exact recipe, divided it into two 8×8 pans. Enjoyed one for dinner and froze the other. I don’t know what it was lacking. Perhaps some fresh grape/cherry tomatoes baked in–along with the sun-dried tomatoes–to brighten it a bit? Fresh Basil is a must, for both taste and color. I haven’t given up on this recipe, but will try using ground beef next time. Thanks, Natasha!
My husband is at home for chemo treatments and planning on freezing a couple trays for days I work and then he can just put in the oven. Would you cook from frozen or thaw them out? I bought on3 in town and we thawed it before putting in oven. But if you buy frozen meals at Walmart a person cooks from frozen? Kind of confusing
Hi! You could cook from frozen. Just make sure he checks it to ensure it’s properly heated through. There is a make-ahead tip in the blog post. 🙂
I adapted this recipe and made it tonight by adding one cup of sauce, one diced red pepper, and a small head of broccoli (we like our veggies here). Both my 9 yo and my husband loved it.
Fantastic!!
Can I freeze this recipe?
Hi! There’s a make ahead tip in the blog post. But for freezing leftovers I am not a big fan of freezing cooked pasta and cheese.
Easy and absolutely delicious!