Sausage and Peppers Macaroni Casserole

Ingredients

• Italian sausage

  Pork, raw

  16 oz or 454g

• Salt

  Table

  1 tsp or 6g

• Olive oil

  Salad or cooking

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Onions

  Raw

  1 cup, chopped or 160g

• Garlic

  Raw

  4 cloves, minced or 12g

• Red bell pepper

  Sweet, raw

  1 medium or 119g

• Yellow peppers

  Sweet, raw

  1 pepper, large or 186g

• Mushrooms

  White, raw

  1 cup, pieces or slices or 70g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  2 cup or 480g

• Pasta sauce

  Spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve

  2 cup or 514g

• Water

  Plain, clean water

  2 cup or 473g

• Poultry seasoning

  Spices

  ½ tsp or 0.8g

• Macaroni

  Dry, enriched

  8 oz or 227g

• Mozzarella cheese

  Part skim milk

  2 cup, shredded or 224g

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have a 9×13-inch baking dish and foil ready.
2. Heat a large deep nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the sausage and a pinch of the salt; cook, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
3. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Stir in the onions, garlic, red bell pepper, and yellow pepper; cook until softened, 6–7 minutes.
4. Stir in the mushrooms, tomatoes, pasta sauce, water, poultry seasoning, remaining salt, and the cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
5. Spread a thin layer of the sausage and vegetable mixture in the bottom of the 9×13-inch dish to lightly coat.
6. Scatter the uncooked macaroni evenly over the dish. Spoon the remaining sauce mixture over the pasta, pressing gently to ensure all pasta is submerged, then top evenly with the mozzarella.
7. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 50–55 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Remove from the oven and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes before serving.