Description
This Baked Pink Sauce Pasta combines creamy, cheesy textures with savory Italian sausage and a flavorful pink sauce made from spaghetti sauce and heavy cream. Perfectly baked to bubbly perfection, this dish is a crowd-pleaser ideal for family dinners and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 (16-oz) package small shells pasta
Meat
- 1 (16-oz) package Italian sausage, casings removed
Sauce & Dairy
- 1 (24-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend, divided
- 1 (8-oz) package fresh mozzarella pearls
Seasoning
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook Pasta: Boil the small shells pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool slightly.
- Cook Sausage: While the pasta is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the Italian sausage until it is crumbled and no longer pink inside. Drain any excess fat from the skillet.
- Mix Sauce and Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, cooked sausage, spaghetti sauce, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes (to your preferred heat level), one cup of the shredded Italian cheese blend, and fresh mozzarella pearls. Stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed and coated with sauce.
- Assemble and Top: Pour the prepared pasta mixture into the sprayed baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the remaining one cup of shredded Italian cheese blend over the top for a cheesy crust.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until the pasta mixture is bubbly and the cheese on top is fully melted and slightly golden.
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to control the spice level to your liking.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, but the sauce will be less rich.
- Make sure to drain excess fat from the sausage to avoid a greasy final dish.
- Fresh mozzarella pearls add a creamy texture that melts beautifully; you can cut a block of fresh mozzarella into small cubes if pearls are unavailable.
- Serve with a green salad or garlic bread for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
