Ingredients
-
1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (mild or hot)
-
olive oil
-
3 garlic cloves, minced
-
1 large sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped
-
28 ounces meatless extra chunky pasta sauce
-
213 ml can tomato sauce
-
1 teaspoon dried basil
-
1 teaspoon oregano
-
1 teaspoon fennel seed
-
5 cups penne pasta
-
1 (284 g) package fresh spinach (trimmed and coarsely chopped)
-
3 cups shredded provolone cheese or 3 cups mozzarella cheese
-
1 cup grated asiago cheese or 1 cup parmesan cheese
-
2 onions, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Cut sausage into 1/2 inch chunks. I large skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat, in batches and adding oil if necessary. Transfer sausage to a bowl.
- Pour off any fat from pan. Add onions, garlic and red pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and fennel seeds; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Return sausage and any accumulated juices to pan; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 6 minutes, add spinach;cook for 1 minute. Drain well and return to pot. Add sausage mixture and provolone/mozzarella cheese; stir to combine well.
- Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 13x9-inch dish. Sprinkle with Asiago/parmesan cheese. Cover dish with greased foil, greased side down.
- To serve: Bake, covered with foil, in in 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or for 1 hour if from the refrigerator. This freezes beautifully (thaw in refrigerator before baking).