Red Pepper Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 6 ounces penne pasta
• 1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more, to taste)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (divded)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 8 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. 2

   In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.

3. 3

   To make the red pepper sauce, combine red peppers, Parmesan, honey and red pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add 2 tablespoons olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.

4. 4

   Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Stir in pasta and red pepper mixture until well combined.

5. 5

   Add pasta to prepared baking dish and top with mozzarella. Place into oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 5-10 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve immediately.