Cheesy Sausage Pasta Bake with Brussels Sprouts

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This cheesy sausage pasta bake is comfort in a skillet. You'll toss rigatoni tubes with sausage, charred Brussels sprouts, and a Worcestershire-spiked cheese sauce to achieve a wonderfully creamy pasta dinner. Rigatoni is the perfect pick for this dish, as the shape encourages all the mix-ins to nestle inside the wide tubes. Once you've gotten the hang of this recipe, try changing up the fillings. Chorizo and mushrooms with cheddar would taste great, as would chicken sausage and kale. Basically, it's hard to go wrong with pasta in a creamy, cheesy sauce.

Cheesy sausage pasta in a serving bowl.
Photo: Caitlin Bensel
Hands On Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
50 mins
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt, for water

  • 12 ounces rigatoni pasta

  • 8 ounces sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

  • 10 ounces Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

  • 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 10 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 2½ cups), divided

  • 1 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about ¾ cup)

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1¼ cups cooking water. Return pasta to pot. Preheat broiler with rack in middle position.

  2. Heat a large, broiler-safe skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.

  3. Heat oil in skillet. Add Brussels sprouts and cook until wilted and charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour and garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add ¼ cup cooking water and whisk until combined, about 30 seconds.

  4. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in milk, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining 1 cup cooking water; bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid has reduced by a quarter, 6 to 7 minutes. Add 1¾ cups Gruyère. Stir in pasta and sausage.

  5. Top pasta with Parmesan and remaining ¾ cup Gruyère. Broil until golden, 3 to 5 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

37g Fat
46g Carbs
45g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 37g 47%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Cholesterol 116mg 39%
Sodium 1144mg 50%
Total Carbohydrate 46g 17%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 45g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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