This Easy Sausage Pasta Bake is one of those dinners we make again and again at home. It’s simple, filling, budget-friendly and always goes down well with the whole family.
We cook sausages in the air fryer then add them in a rich tomato sauce with mushrooms, onion and garlic, mixed through pasta, then topped with plenty of melted cheese and baked until golden and bubbling.
It’s proper comfort food and perfect for busy weeknights when you want something hearty without spending ages in the kitchen.
This cheesy sausage and tomato pasta bake recipe is a great way to feed a family without spending loads.
The Cheese, Tomato and Sausage Pasta Bake recipe card can be found below with ingredients, method and cooking times. If you’re looking for extra tips, ingredient swaps, variations and helpful advice, keep reading the blog post after the recipe card.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Easy Sausage Pasta Bake with Tomato Sauce and Cheese Topping
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Sausages - any type
- 500 g Pasta - we use fusilli
- 1 large Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 250 g Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- Splash Balsamic Vinegar
- 500 g Passata
- 400 g Chopped Tomato - (tin)
- 100 g Tomato Puree
- 1 Knorr Beef Stock Pot
- 165 g Sweetcorn - (tin) optional
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper - season to your preference
- 250 g Cheese - to your preferece
- ½ teaspoon Truffle Seasoning - Optional
Instructions
- Cook 6 Sausages to packet instructions. We done ours in the airfryer.Dice 1 large Onion, finely chop 3 cloves Garlic and slice 250 g Mushrooms.
- Add 1 tablespoon Olive Oil into a large pan add the onions, mushrooms and garlic. Sautee on medium heat for 8 minutes.
- Add a Splash Balsamic Vinegar to the softened onion and mushrooms.
- Add 500 g Passata, 400 g Chopped Tomato, 100 g Tomato Puree, 1 Knorr Beef Stock Pot (no need to add water). Stir through.
- Chop the sausages and add to the sauce.
- Add 165 g Sweetcorn (optional), 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning and season with Salt and Pepper stir in. Turn down to a simmer allow the sauce to thicken and the sauce to soak into the sausages. whilst pasta cooks.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add 500 g Pasta cook for 10 minutes. Turn the oven on at 200℃ Fan
- Drain the pasta.
- Transfer sauce into a large oven safe dish or a deep baking tray.
- Add the drained pasta.
- Stir together well.
- Pat down with spatula to make flat surface on top.
- Top with 250 g Cheese.
- We like to sprinkle about ½ teaspoon Truffle Seasoning for extra flavour but that's optional
- Place in the preheated 200℃ fan oven and cook for 15 minutes.
- Its ready when the cheese has melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Why You'll Love This Sausage Pasta Bake
- Easy to prepare
- Budget-friendly family meal
- Great for batch cooking
- Uses simple everyday ingredients
- Comforting cheesy pasta bake
- Perfect for leftovers
- Easy to adapt with different sausages or vegetables
We usually make this with fusilli pasta because it holds onto the sauce really well, but penne or rigatoni work great too.
The truffle seasoning is optional, but it adds a lovely extra flavour if you have some.
You can easily swap ingredients depending on what you have available.
Best Sausages to Use
You can use almost any sausages in this pasta bake recipe. We’ve made it with:
- Cumberland sausages
- Lincolnshire sausages
- Pork and caramelised onion sausages
- Reduced fat sausages
- Chicken sausages
Using flavoured sausages is a really easy way to change the overall taste of the dish.
What Cheese Works Best?
A good mature cheddar melts beautifully and gives the best flavour. But you could also use:
- Mozzarella
- Red Leicester
- Gruyère
- Mixed cheese blends
If you like an extra cheesy sausage pasta bake, simply add more on top before baking.
Tips for the Best Sausage Pasta Bake
Our tips for making this family pasta bake extra tasty!
Let the Sauce Simmer
Allowing the sauce to simmer helps it thicken and gives the flavours time to develop.
Slightly Undercook the Pasta
Cook the pasta just until al dente. It will continue cooking in the oven.
Use Good Quality Sausages
The sausages add lots of flavour to the sauce, so decent sausages really make a difference.
Lots of Cheese on Top
A thick cheesy topping is what makes a pasta bake extra comforting.
Variations
This sausage pasta bake recipe is really easy to adapt.
Try adding:
- Spinach
- Peppers
- Chilli flakes
- Bacon
- Courgette
- Olives
You can also make it spicy by using chilli sausages, chilli cheese or adding extra chilli seasoning.
Storage and Reheating
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven or microwave until piping hot throughout.
This pasta bake can also be frozen. Allow it to cool fully before freezing in airtight containers.
What to Serve with Sausage Pasta Bake
This cheesy sausage pasta bake is filling on its own, but to stretch the amount of people it can serve we sometimes serve it with:
FAQ's
Yes. Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
Yes, it freezes well once cooled.
Yes. Use vegetarian sausages and swap the beef stock pot for vegetable stock.
This easy sausage pasta bake recipe is one of our favourite comfort food dinners. It’s simple, affordable and always satisfying.
The combination of rich tomato sauce, pasta, sausages and melted cheese is hard to beat, especially on a busy weeknight when you need something reliable and tasty.
More Pasta Bake Recipes
- Cheesy Bolognese Pasta Bake
- Salmon Pesto Pasta Bake
- Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake
- Sundried Tomato and Roasted Pepper Pasta
If you make this recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below!
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