Cheesy Sausage Pasta

Pasta and sausage in a rich tomato pasta sauce is topped with an abundance of cheese to create this Cheesy Sausage Pasta.

Everything bakes and melts together to create an irresistible dinner for any cheese or pasta lover!

Cheesy Pasta Bake

Is there a kid in the world who doesn’t love a cheesy pasta dinner? My kids enjoy cheesy pasta and honestly, the more cheese the better.

We are big fans of mac and cheese here and for many years, my kids would have chosen that for their dinner any night of the week. Anyone else have kids like that?

Much like this Stuffed Pepper Skillet, adding cheese to this pasta dish makes it infinitely more appealing. To be honest though, this recipe is seriously delicious before any cheese is added. But with the cheese? It is even tastier.

Taco Soup and Pepperoni Pizza Rolls are a couple more dinners that are awesome with extra cheese.

Chunks of savory, smoky ham and perfectly seasoned, gooey, melted cheese make this Mac and Cheese with Ham a dinner you’ll make more than once.

Savory sausage, creamy ricotta and mozzarella, and your favorite spaghetti sauce are baked with bowtie pasta in this Lazy Lasagna recipe twist on traditional lasagna.

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this {Six Ingredient} BBQ Meatloaf and the result is every bit as delicious as the much more complicated traditional recipes.

Want your kids to eat more vegetables? This Broccoli with Cheese Sauce by Dinner at the Zoo is a recipe they won’t be able to resist.

Breakfast Sausage Pasta

Adding sausage to this recipe adds a whole lot of flavor with minimal effort. I keep an abundance of different sausage types on hand for quick meals like this one.

I like using breakfast sausage (the hot sausage variety is my first choice) for the abundance of spices that are already there, but any sausage you like will work here.

While I absolutely love this dish with mushrooms added to the skillet, my kids can take them or leave them. They’re optional, so feel free to add them or not.

This is also delicious with sautéed bell peppers and/or onions added.

Sausage Pasta Bake

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• bite-size pasta
• spicy Italian or hot breakfast sausage
• garlic
• spaghetti sauce
• kosher salt and black pepper
• mozzarella cheese
• fresh Italian parsley

Cheesy Sausage Pasta

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. (Take care not to overcook.) Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop it from continuing to cook while it cools.

While the pasta is boiling, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, cook and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat.

Add the garlic cloves and continue cooking until fragrant. Add the spaghetti sauce, stir and bring to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to mix throughout. Sprinkle with 2 cups of cheese, stir to combine. Top with an additional 2 cups of cheese.

Bake until the cheese has thoroughly melted and the edges are bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

I’m all in favor of EASY dinner ideas for busy weeknights. These Crockpot Sweet and Sour Meatballs are another awesomely easy dinner option you’ll want to try!

Looking for more cheesy dinner recipes? This Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich is a fantastic treat, loaded with savory slices of pepperoni, gooey mozzarella, and fresh basil.

{originally published 2/2/21 – recipe notes and photos updated 5/2/24}