Quick Baked Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Béchamel: The Perfect Sunday Dish

This recipe for a quick baked Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Béchamel is very simple. I’ve prepared a sauce with sausages and then added béchamel and Parmesan, but of course, you can refine it with additional ingredients as you like! Instead of sausages, you can use ground meat, prepare a sauce with meatballs, or make a simple tomato sauce. You can also add hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, peas, or other ingredients – in short, create a real pasta bake, a classic of Italian cuisine where all the flavors blend wonderfully and a golden gratin forms!

Ingredients:

For the sausage sauce:

• 4 sausages
• 1 onion (or shallot)
• 1 liter (4 cups) tomato passata
• ½ glass dry white wine
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

For the béchamel sauce:

• 1 liter (4 cups) milk
• 100g (7 tablespoons) butter
• 100g (¾ cup) flour (type 00)
• Nutmeg (optional)
• Salt

For the quick pasta bake:

• 400g (14 oz) pasta
• Parmesan cheese to taste

How to make quick baked Pasta with Sausage Sauce and Béchamel:

Prepare the sausage sauce:

1. First, remove the sausages from their casings and cut them into small pieces.
2. Slice the onion and add it to a high-sided pan with extra virgin olive oil.
3. When the onion is golden, add the sausages.
4. Brown the sausages, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, then deglaze with white wine.
5. Let the wine evaporate, then add the tomato puree.
6. Reduce the heat, season with salt, and cook the sauce and sausages covered for about 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the béchamel sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour, and stir.
2. Slowly pour the lukewarm milk into the butter-flour mixture, stirring until it’s completely thickened.
3. Add salt and nutmeg to taste.

Prepare the baked pasta:

1. Cook the pasta of your choice and drain when it’s al dente.
2. Place the pasta in a large bowl and add the sausage sauce, béchamel sauce, and a generous handful of Parmesan cheese.
3. Mix the pasta and transfer it to a baking dish.
4. Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta.
5. Bake the pasta in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 20 minutes, turning on the grill for the last 5 minutes to create a crust.
6. Remove the baked pasta from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving!

Tips:

• You can also prepare a simple tomato-basil sauce.
• You can add mozzarella or provolone cheese to make the baked pasta firmer.
• You can prepare white baked pasta with just sausage and béchamel sauce.
• You can add mushrooms or peas according to taste.

Bon Appétit!