Baked Pasta with Sausage, Peppers and Broccoli Rabe

This Baked Cavatelli pasta is a delicious layered casserole with Italian Marinara tomato sauce, Baked sausage sliced peppers, and sauteed Broccoli Rabe.


The flavors together are fabulous if you're a fan and take a little more time if you make this all from scratch as shown.


The casserole is very filling, so it certainly will feed a family who has hearty appetites.


Of course, the recipe has wonderful fresh flavors and for those who want to substitute some of the ingredients, we have some suggestions you can try.


You may also like our 15 Easy Pasta Recipe Roundup or our 15 One-Pan Favorite Meals recipes.


Scroll down to get this easily printable recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Two Ways To Make This Dish

The first way is to cook the sausage, peppers, and sauteed broccoli rabe,  then add this mixture to your favorite marinara sauce until done, poured over any cooked pasta dish.


The second way is to layer cooked sausage, peppers, broccoli rabe in a casserole dish with the cooked sausage, peppers, pasta, cheeses, and baked.


I have made this both ways with just a pot of sauce over angel hair is our favorite and baked with cavatelli in the oven and both are delicious!

Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions

• any kind of pasta you like can be used
• any other vegetables to substitute, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, escarole, onions, eggplant, zucchini slices, or regular broccoli instead of broccoli rabe
• roasted red, bell peppers, or hot peppers
• meatballs, sliced of cooked steak, pork or lamb, prosciutto, or capicola instead of sausage
• shrimp or another seafood you like
• if you want to substitute the mozzarella I would recommend provolone or fontina
• use broccolini if you can't find broccoli rabe
• always sauteed the vegetables and meats using first to make sure they are flavored with garlic before adding them to the sauce

Pasta Suggestions

1. rigatoni
2. bowties
3. mostaccioli
4. fusilli
5. seashells
6. angel hair, linguine, fettucini, vermicelli, buccatini, spaghetti

Ingredients You Will Need(for exact measurements scroll down to the recipe card)

1. pasta of your choice I used Homemade Cavatelli
2. tomato sauce Homemade or jarred
3. Italian sausage or another meat you prefer
4. Broccoli Rabe or another vegetable you prefer
5. granulated garlic
6. fresh chopped parsley
7. egg
8. whole milk ricotta
9. Pecorino Romano cheese
10. shredded mozzarella or use a shredded mixed Italian cheese
11. Optional Garnish: red pepper flakes and more Pecorino Romano cheese, fresh basil leaves

Tips

• cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions and keep warm
• to save time use a jarred marinara sauce
• make a full meat casserole or all vegetable
• to save time, air fry the sausage then slice it
• use a medley of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian
• use jarred roasted peppers to save time
• for a healthier version use turkey sausage, part-skim ricotta instead of whole milk, and whole wheat or a low carb pasta of your choice
• don't overcook the pasta, make it al denti it will finish cooking when baked in the oven
• always use Pecorino Romano blended cheese and whole milk mozzarella for best results in the flavor
• the broccoli rabe, sausage, peppers, and mushrooms if using can all be baked on a cookie sheet first with garlic and oil instead of frying

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Cavatelli Step By Step

This pasta dish is done with several recipes using baked Italian sausage and peppers, sauteed broccoli rabe, homemade tomato sauce, pasta and then layered with ricotta and mozzarella cheese repeat.



I love the sausage baked and crispy and the peppers roasted within the sausage oils, this isn't soaked in tomato sauce and is just a top layer with melted cheese on top of the pasta.



Remember as I said about the recipes are in links for homemade Cavatelli, Marinara Sauce, Broccoli Rabe sauteed, Italian sausage, and peppers (omit the potatoes).



Now that you have a good idea of how it's put together, I will give you options in the recipe card below on how to make this with store-bought ingredients and a quicker version.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Peppers and Broccoli Rabe

Yield: 10

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Prep time: 35 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 55 Min

This Italian pasta dish is filled with delicious pasta layered with ricotta, tomato sauce, sausage, peppers, and broccoli rabe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Cavatelli store-bought or my Homemade Cavatelli Recipe or any favorite pasta cooked to package instructions
• 2 cleaned and sliced bell peppers 
• cooked Italian Sausage and sliced (baked  or pan-fried)
• 1 bunch of cleaned and sauteed Broccoli Rabe your favorite way to make them or myHomemade Broccoli Rabe Directions in garlic and oil
• 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 - 15 ounce container of whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• granulated garlic powder, parsley, salt, pepper
• 2 cups of whole milk shredded mozzarella
• 3 or 4 cups of your favorite Italian Marinara tomato sauce or my Homemade Tomato Sauce
• Optional Garnish: red pepper flakes, Pecorino Romano cheese grated

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Heat the sauce you're using.
3. Slice the cooked sausage sausage and place that in a dish with the thinly slcied raw peppers set aside.
4. Mix the ricotta cheese with 1 egg, salt, pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder set aside.
5. Make sure the broccoli rabe is tender and cooked ( again see links for the recipe or use your own).
6. Boil the pasta to the directions on the package or for homemade until it float to the top.
7. Oil spray a 13 x 9 casserole baking dish. Set aside.
8. Now all the ingredients should be ready to layer.
9. First bottom layer:  tomato sauce to cover the bottom, next ricotta cheese, and a little mozzarella cheese on top.
10. Second layer: Add more pasta, tomato sauce more mozzarella.
11. Top layer: Add sliced sausage with pepper scattered around the top, tomato sauce mozzarella cheese, and Pecorino Romano cheese.
12. Bake until cheese is melted around 15 minutes, place on broil for browned crispy cheese for 2 minutes on high.
13. Serving:  Place a scoop of pasta on the plate and add the broccoli rabe to the top. Serve with Pecorino Romano Cheese and red pepper flakes,
14. Note:  Meats, and vegetables can be baked on a cookie sheet with garlic, and oil or sauteed on top of the stove in a frying pan.
15. All meats and vegetables should be cooked before adding to the casserole dish.
16. The second way to make this is to add all the cooked meats and cooked vegetables to a pot of your favorite sauce,  boil any kind of pasta in another pan, and top with this sauce mixture.

Notes:

Tips

• cook any kind of pasta you like to package instructions and keep warm
• to save time use a jarred marinara sauce
• make a full meat casserole or all vegetable
• to save time, air fry the sausage then slice it
• use a medley of vegetables and omit the meat for vegetarian
• use jarred roasted peppers to save time
• for a healthier version use turkey sausage, part-skim ricotta instead of whole milk, and whole wheat or a low carb pasta of your choice
• don't overcook the pasta, make it al denti it will finish cooking when baked in the oven
• always use Pecorino Romano blended cheese and whole milk mozzarella for best results in the flavor
• the broccoli rabe, sausage, peppers, and mushrooms if using can all be baked on a cookie sheet first with garlic and oil instead of frying

Other Substitutions and Sauce Additions

• any kind of pasta you like can be used
• any other vegetables to substitute, sauteed mushrooms, spinach, escarole, onions, eggplant, zucchini slices, or regular broccoli instead of broccoli rabe
• roasted red, bell peppers, or hot peppers
• meatballs, sliced of cooked steak, pork or lamb, prosciutto, or capicola instead of sausage
• shrimp or another seafood you like
• if you want to substitute the mozzarella I would recommend provolone or fontina
• use broccolini if you can't find broccoli rabe
• always sauteed the vegetables and meats using first to make sure they are flavored with garlic before adding them to the sauce

Nutrition Facts

Calories

351.48

Fat (grams)

16.49

Sat. Fat (grams)

7.94

Carbs (grams)

32.47

Fiber (grams)

3.63

Net carbs

28.84

Sugar (grams)

9.78

Protein (grams)

18.12

Sodium (milligrams)

855.56

Cholesterol (grams)

64.37

Similar Recipes

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Broccoli Rabe

Italian Broccoli Rabe Sausage Roll

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