Sausage and Cheese Macaroni recipe

If you're a frequent visitor here, you might notice that all the recipes you've been checking out have vanished. Fret not! They didn't really disappear, I've just reverted them to draft. I wanted to start fresh. One by one, those recipes will make their way back here to save you from a kitchen nightmare where you're trying to figure out what to cook for dinner. But since this is a new year, here is a new recipe for you! :) Make sure you scroll down because I moved all the photos to the bottom of the post.

If there is a recipe from me that you really enjoyed making, you can of course request for me to post it back up and I'll be sure to make that a priority.

Aahhh. My first recipe post is an Italian dish. Who doesn't love Italian food anyway?!

With this recipe, the serving size varies. There's only 2 and a half people in our household and this dish lasts us up to 3 days! If you've been cooking every night, this may just give you a break from the kitchen for at least 1 day.. or maybe not because it's so darn delicious! This dish can definitely feed a crowd.

Printable Recipe
Sausage and Cheese Macaroni

For the Pasta
ingredients:
• ½ lb elbow macaroni
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• water
• non-stick spray

instructions:
1)  Preheat oven to 425° F.
2)  Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add salt and pasta, give it a stir. Cook about 2-3 minutes shy of al dente. Drain pasta.
◘ tip: Every pasta brand is different so check the package for al dente cooking times. While pasta is cooking, start cooking the sausage.
3)  Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Transfer pasta into the baking dish.

For the Sausage and Sauce
ingredients:
• 1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 oz baby spinach
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes (flavor: onion, garlic and basil)
• 32 oz whole milk ricotta cheese, strained 30 minutes prior
• ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
• ½ cup Asiago cheese, freshly grated
• 1 cup smoked Gouda cheese, freshly shredded
• 1 cup smoked mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded

instructions:

1)  Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it apart using a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook for 4 minutes.

◘ tip: Use at least a 12-inch pan. I've used both a saute pan and an everyday pan.

2)  Add shallots, cook for 3 minutes. Continue to break apart the sausage if necessary. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute.
◘ tip: If there is a lot of grease coming from the sausage, get rid of it by placing a paper towel in the pan to wipe the bottom of the pan or carefully pour out the grease.

3)  Add spinach, salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the spinach is just wilted, about 2 minutes.

4)  Add milk, tomatoes, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Asiago, and half of the Gouda cheese. Stir until well combined. Off the heat.

5)  Pour half of the sauce into the baking dish with pasta, then toss to coat. Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta and toss until well combined.

6)  Evenly sprinkle the rest of the Gouda cheese over the top, followed by mozzarella.

7)  Bake for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

◘ tip: Place the baking dish on a sheet pan if you're concerned about anything oozing out to the sides of the dish.