This simple Cheesy Sausage Pasta is all made in ONE baking dish -- the oven does all the work! No need to pre-boil the pasta or pre-cook the sausage, just dump it all in and bake.
PREP: Start by removing the milk from the fridge, measuring 2 cups, and setting it aside for now. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Coin sausage then cut coins in half.
COMBINE: Add the following ingredients in this order to the pan: uncooked pasta, flour (sprinkled evenly on top), seasonings (mustard, onion, and garlic powder), and salt/pepper to taste (I add 3/4 tsp of each), minced garlic, chicken broth/stock, milk, and butter (cut into 2 pieces). Stir well. Top with coarsely chopped broccoli. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
BAKE AGAIN: Remove foil, and stir ingredients together really well. Add in 1 cup Cheddar cheese and stir through again. Place the cut sausage on top of ingredients in one even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar on top. Return the pan to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until pasta is tender and the top is golden brown (don't overbake or sauce will bake out). Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes (it thickens more as it stands). Enjoy immediately, garnished with fresh parsley if desired.
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Notes
Note 1: Sausage: I recommend using a fully cooked smoked sausage for this recipe. We love using hardwood smoked turkey sausage and have also tested chicken sausage. I don't recommend using uncooked sausage; it will make the dish overly greasy and won't cook properly. Anywhere in the range of 11-14 ounces will work great. We typically use a 13-ounce package.Note 2: Pasta: We've tested with penne and rotini and recommend either. If using a different type of pasta, check the label to be sure the boil time is similar timing to penne/rotini (9-11 minutes)Note 3: Chicken stock: The better the stock, the more flavor this dish will have. We love and use Swanson® Chicken Stock. If using chicken broth, you may need a bit more seasoning.Note 4: Whole milk: Remove from the fridge, measure, and set aside before starting to cook. Room-temperature milk will heat quicker! This is intended to be a creamy recipe, and the lower-fat milk choices won't achieve the right texture. That said, you can use 1% or 2% (for a less creamy dish). Unfortunately, skim milk or a dairy milk alternative doesn't work the same in this recipe.Note 5: Cheese: To avoid clumping, I like to freshly grate the cheese (packaged grated cheese has a cellulose coating that keeps it from melting as smoothly). Yes, this recipe is supposed to be simple, but freshly grated cheese makes a world of difference. Speed up the grating by using a food processor with a grating attachment. I recommend sharp or extra-sharp Cheddar for maximum flavor.