Sausage and Tomato Pasta Bake recipe

Name: Sausage and Tomato Pasta Bake
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 300g Pasta; 6 Cooked sausages; 400g Tomatoes; 100g Cheddar cheese; 20g Margarine; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper; 1 Onion; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tbsp Tomato purée

A hearty, comforting pasta bake with savoury sausage, a rich tomato sauce and a golden cheesy topping. It’s a satisfying family-style dish that makes excellent use of pantry ingredients.

45 min · Easy · British Jump to method

Ingredients

4 servings

300g Pasta
6 Cooked sausages
400g Tomatoes
100g Cheddar cheese
20g Margarine
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
1 Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Tomato purée

Nutrition	Per servingEstimated
Calories	581 kcal
Protein	24 g
Carbohydrates	50 g
Fat	29 g
Saturated fat	12 g
Fibre	4.5 g
Sugar	5.5 g
Sodium	780 mg

Why this works

A filling, energy-dense pasta bake with a good protein content, but also relatively high in saturated fat and sodium from the sausages, cheddar and added salt.

Protein and calcium. Sausages and cheddar provide useful protein, while the cheese also contributes calcium for bone health.

Tomatoes and onion. Tomatoes, onion and garlic add vitamin C, potassium and antioxidant compounds such as lycopene.

Sodium and saturated fat. The sausages, cheddar and 1 tsp added salt make this dish relatively high in sodium and saturated fat.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C (Fan 180°C, 392°F, Gas Mark 6).
Make sure the oven has fully reached temperature before the dish goes in, so the topping starts browning straight away rather than steaming.
Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water until just al dente, then drain.
Taste a strand a minute before the end of the cooking time; it should still have a faint bite in the centre, as it will soften more in the oven.
Heat the margarine in a large pan and add the tomatoes. Cook until they break down into a thick sauce, mashing them slightly as they soften.
Keep the heat at a gentle simmer and stir now and then so the tomatoes don’t catch on the pan base before they collapse into a thicker, spoonable sauce.
Slice the cooked sausages and stir them into the tomato sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.
Warm the sliced sausages just long enough for them to take on the sauce and heat through, but do not boil hard or they can turn firm and dry.
Combine the pasta with the sausage and tomato sauce, then tip into a baking dish.
Turn the pasta through while it is still hot so the sauce clings to the tubes or shapes, and use a dish with a little extra room to stop spillovers in the oven.
Scatter the cheese over the top and bake for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling and golden.
Watch for the cheese to melt into a bubbling lid with patches of deep golden brown; if it is colouring too quickly, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top.
Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Let it rest uncovered so the sauce settles and thickens slightly, otherwise the first portions will run out rather than slice neatly.

Other Sausage Recipes

Orange Cream Tomato Pasta

20 min · Silky pasta tossed in a bright orange-scented cream sauce with sweet tomato and a generous savoury finish from cheese. Light, comforting and a little unexpected, it makes a cheerful lunch or supper.

Creamy Tomato and Feta Pasta

25 min · A comforting pasta dish with a silky tomato and cream cheese sauce, brightened with tangy feta and finished with a handful of broccoli. It is rich, colourful and quick enough for a midweek dinner.