Cheesy Sausage Penne

Being a food blogger means that you try lots of new recipes, all the time. And, obviously, not all of those recipes can be good, so some of them you never make again. Some are good enough to make occasionally, and some are so good that you want to make them once a week or more. This cheesy sausage penne falls into that last category – so good that my family could probably eat it three times a week and not get sick of it. It was so good that the instant the dinner dishes were cleaned up, I was on Facebook sharing the link with my family and friends.

What makes this dish different from other baked pasta dishes is the addition of the creamy, luxurious cream cheese-sour cream mixture that’s dotted on top and between the layers of pasta. That sauce is what takes this from good to incredible. There is a lot of the cream cheese-sour cream mixture, so if you’re not a fan of really saucy pastas, you can cut the mixture in half (and also I’m not your friend anymore, because how can you not like a lot of sauce?).

This dish is made with pantry staples and comes together relatively quickly – even more quickly if you make it ahead of time. Joe and my boys absolutely loved this, and I did too. It will be making many, many repeat appearances in my kitchen.

Cheesy Sausage Penne
adapted from Taste of Home

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 26-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 16-ounce package uncooked penne pasta
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and spices to taste.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream.

4. In a greased shallow 3-quart baking dish, layer half of the pasta and sausage mixture. Dollop with half the cream cheese mixture; sprinkle with half the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers.

5. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.