White Baked Pasta with Sausage and Peas

White baked pasta with sausage and peas is a rich and comforting dish, perfect for a family dinner or a festive lunch. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 350 g of short pasta (rigatoni, penne or another suitable type for baked pasta)
• 300 g of fresh sausage
• 200 g of peas (fresh or frozen)
• 300 ml of béchamel sauce
• 150 g of mozzarella, preferably low moisture, cut into cubes
• 80 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil (for sautéing)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
2. In a pan, sauté the crumbled sausage in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Cook until it becomes golden, then add the peas and let cook for a few minutes. If necessary, add a bit of water to prevent sticking.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it is almost al dente (it should be a bit firmer than usual, as it will continue to cook in the oven). Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl.
4. Prepare the béchamel sauce following your favorite recipe or using a ready-made one. For an extra touch, you might add a pinch of nutmeg.
5. Add the béchamel, sausage with peas, mozzarella cubes, and half of the grated Parmesan to the pasta and mix well.
6. Grease a baking dish with some oil or butter, pour the pasta mixture into it, and level the surface.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the grated Parmesan on top of the pasta.
8. Bake the pasta in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, until the surface becomes gratinated and golden.
9. Let it rest a few minutes before serving.

Trivia

Baked pasta is a much-loved preparation in Italy and is often prepared in advance for celebrations or to have a ready dish to reheat in the following days. In this “white” version, i.e., without tomato, the different flavors of the ingredients can be appreciated, in particular the sweet taste of the peas that perfectly complements the more decisive flavor of the sausage.