Photo of Chicken sausage, mushroom and pasta casserole by WW

Chicken sausage, mushroom and pasta casserole

8
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 10 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Serves
8
Difficulty
Easy
Pasta meets pizza in this comforting one-dish meal. It can be prepared a day or two ahead – perfect for busy weeknights. Assemble the casserole as directed but set aside the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup of the sauce and the breadcrumbs. Wrap the casserole tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. When ready to bake, let the casserole come to room temperature and then drizzle with the reserved sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake as directed above. Place your casserole under the broiler for a minute after it's finished cooking, if you prefer your casseroles well-browned.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

2 spray(s)

Uncooked whole wheat pasta

12 oz, rotini suggested (about 3 cups)

Olive oil

1 tsp, extra-virgin

Panko breadcrumbs

½ cup(s)

Grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp, Parmigiano-Reggiano suggested

Dried oregano

1 tsp

Cooked chicken sausage

8 oz, Italian-variety, thinly sliced

Yellow bell pepper

1 medium, thinly sliced

Uncooked onion

1 medium, chopped

Mushrooms

1 pound(s), sliced

Water

2 Tbsp

Marinara sauce

4 cup(s)

Shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

1 cup(s)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9- X 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain pasta and return to pot.
  3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 4 minutes. Remove breadcrumbs to a small bowl; stir in Parmesan and oregano and set aside.
  4. In same skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes; remove to a plate and drain any fat from skillet.
  5. Add pepper and onion to skillet; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables start to brown and soften, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add mushrooms and water to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
  7. Add vegetables, sausage and marinara sauce to pot with drained pasta; toss to coat. Spoon into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with mozzarella and reserved breadcrumbs. Bake until heated through and cheese melts, about 25 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving (about 1 1/2 cups).