Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

Thanks to Klement’s for sponsoring this delicious post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Homemade alfredo sauce combines with fresh veggies, Klement’s Italian Sausage and cheese to create this scrumptious Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pasta Bake.

This Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pasta Bake is Perfect for Entertaining

For those of you that follow me on Instagram, you may remember that back in December the waterline to the fridge at our cabin started leaking and caused some serious water damage. Like, part of the ceiling in the basement fell down, seriously.

We’re thankful we caught it when we did, but the damage was still pretty extensive. So, after several months, lots of contractors, dealing with insurance and 9 hours of Steve and me cleaning up after the construction, the cabin is finally put back together.

Last weekend we decided we needed to go up to the cabin just to relax, enjoy ourselves and not do any work. I knew we would be getting together with Steve’s sister and her husband, who both live near our cabin, and I thought it would be fun to have them over for dinner. I served this amazing three cheese Italian sausage pasta bake and it was a perfect choice.

A Great Make Ahead Dish

First of all, I was able to make this dish ahead of time, which made entertaining a breeze. Remember, we were spending the weekend relaxing, so I didn’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. All I needed to do was pop this delicious three cheese Italian sausage pasta bake into the oven to bake, make a quick salad, heat up some bread and dinner was served.

The other great thing about this pasta bake is how amazingly good it is. It starts with a quick and easy alfredo sauce. For extra flavor and nutrition, I sautéed some red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms and onion.

The three cheese part of the dish is a combination of parmesan, feta and mozzarella. Then the star of  this three cheese Italian sausage pasta bake is Klement’s Italian Sausage, which I absolutely LOVE.

All of their sausage is made with all natural ingredients. Those ingredients give the sausage a delicious, rich flavor. Thus, making it perfect in any recipe, and especially delicious in this hearty pasta dish.

Sausage, Sausage and More Sausage!

Klement’s has a delicious variety of fully cooked sausages, including Italian sausage, bratwurst and polish sausage. They also have a wonderful selection of summer sausages and snack sticks, which are perfect for serving when you’re entertaining.

The fully cooked sausages are great for quick family dinners on busy nights. Their sausage has been handcrafted by three generations of artisans and is naturally hardwood smoked using leaner, more premium meats. It’s sausage that links people together.

If you’re not familiar with Klement’s, it’s a 60 year old company, started in Milwaukee and built on European Tradition.  The roots of the Klement Sausage Company are traced back several generations to Central Europe.

In that region, sausage-making is knitted tightly into the fabric of the community. And, where techniques and recipes were handed down through the Klement family.

The sausage is made using old world recipes and produced in small batches. The result is sausage that has a most delicious taste.

How to Freeze and Reheat the Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

As I said, this is a great make ahead recipe. To do that, prepare the recipe up to the point where it’s ready to bake.

At this point, cover the baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can also freeze for up to three months.

To bake from refrigerated, bake for 15 minutes covered and then an additional 30 minutes uncovered. It’s done when heated through and cheese is melted and starting to brown. To bake from frozen, bake for 30 minutes covered and then an additional 30 minutes uncovered, until heated through.

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Yield: 8-10

Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

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Homemade alfredo sauce combines with fresh veggies, Klement's Italian Sausage and cheese to create this scrumptious Three Cheese Italian Sausage Pasta Bake.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 minute

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 6 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped small
• 1 small zucchini, cubed small
• 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 (16 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in a clean kitchen towel
• 1 (14 oz) package Klement's Italian Sausage
• 1 lb short cut pasta, cooked according to package instructions
• 4 oz feta cheese crumbles
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat.
3. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in milk and chicken stock.
5. Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a simmer that's just starting to bubble, but not boil.
6. Whisk in cream cheese, a couple cubes at a time, until melted and fully incorporated.
7. Whisk in 3/4 cup parmesan and continue whisking until melted.
8. Stir in oregano, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
9. Keep sauce warm over low heat.
10. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
11. Add shallot, bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms.
12. Sauté until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in dry spinach.
14. In a large mixing bowl, stir together veggies, sausage, cooked pasta and feta.
15. Pour sauce over mixture and stir until well combined.
16. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
17. Pour pasta mixture into prepared pan.
18. Spread evenly and sprinkle mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan over the top.
19. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Notes

• This can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for several months. To store, cover baking dish tightly with foil.
• To bake from refrigerated, bake for 15 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered, until heated through.
• To bake from frozen, bake covered for 30 minutes and uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, until heated through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 366Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 649mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 16g

ENJOY!