Italian Sausage Macaroni & Cheese

By kristentirrell

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Italian sausage (hot or sweet), casings removed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 12 oz. cavatappi
• 1 oz. (16-oz.) jar marinara
• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 c. half-and-half or heavy cream
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella, divided
• Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Details

Adapted from delish.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350° In a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until seared and no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes more.

Add cavatappi and stir until coated, then pour over marinara and broth and season with salt. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until pasta is al dente and almost all liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes.

Stir in half-and-half and simmer until mostly absorbed, 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in half of mozzarella.

Transfer mixture to a large baking dish and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 10 minutes.

Garnish with parsley before serving.