Name: Sausage pasta bake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 9 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 400 g Pork sausages; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 1 Red onion, diced; 2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tsp Dried sage; 60 g Tomato purée; 150 ml White wine; 300 ml Vegetable stock; 500 g Dried pasta, any shape; Salt (for pasta water), for pasta water; 200 g Frozen spinach; 50 g Butter; 50 g Plain (all-purpose) flour; 600 ml Whole milk; Salt & Black Pepper (to taste), to taste; Nutmeg, finely grated, finely grated; 150 g Mature Cheddar cheese, grated

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The recipe

Sausage pasta bake

This easy sausage pasta bake is a budget-friendly family dinner that's perfect for beginners.

Serves 6
25 min prep
1 hour 9 min cooking
Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale

6 servings

Measurements

Method

Prepare the sausages

Step 1
Split the sausage (400 g) skins lengthways and remove them.
Step 2
Break the sausage (400 g) meat into small pieces and set aside.
Step 3
Wash hands thoroughly.

Make the sausage sauce

Step 1
Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the olive oil (1 tbsp).
Step 2
Add the sausage (400 g) meat and cook until browned.
Step 3
Add the diced onion (1 onion), reduce heat to low, and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft.
Step 4
Stir in the garlic (2 garlic) and dried sage (1 tsp). Cook for 1 minute.
Step 5
Add the tomato purée (60 g) and cook for 1 minute.
Step 6
Pour in the white wine (150 ml) and vegetable stock (300 ml).
Step 7
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, or until reduced by half.
Step 8
Remove from the heat.

Cook the pasta & spinach

Step 1
Cook the pasta (500 g) in salted boiling water for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add the frozen spinach (200 g) and cook for 2 more minutes.
Step 3
Drain well.
Step 4
Stir the pasta (500 g) and spinach (200 g) into the sausage (400 g) sauce until evenly coated.

Make the béchamel sauce

Step 1
Melt the butter (50 g) in a saucepan over low heat.
Step 2
Stir in the flour (50 g) and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Gradually add the milk (600 ml), stirring well after each addition, until smooth and thick.
Step 4
Season with salt, pepper, and a small grating of nutmeg.
Step 5
Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Assemble

Step 1
Preheat oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional).
Step 2
In a baking dish, layer: Half of the sausage (400 g) pasta (500 g), half of the béchamel, remaining pasta, remaining béchamel.
Step 3
Top with grated cheddar cheese (150 g).

Bake

Step 1
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and bubbling.

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Questions people ask

How long does sausage pasta bake take?

About 1 hour 35 min from start to finish, of which 25 min is prep and 1 hour 9 min is cooking. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 6. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Can I cook it ahead?

This one sits in the batch cooking group, which means it was picked for cooking in quantity rather than eaten straight from the pan. Cool it quickly, and freeze it in the portion sizes you will actually want later.

Sausage pasta bake

Sausage pasta bake

Ingredients

Sausage sauce

Pasta

Béchamel sauce