Make it Italian night with this quick and easy dinner idea for the whole family on a cold evening.
By Laraine Perri
The sausage-mushroom mixture can be made a day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Rewarm over low heat before combining with the pasta. 
Mark Boughton/styling: Teresa Blackburn
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms (trimmed, and quartered)
- 1/2 cup sliced shallots
- 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1/3 cup dry white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt (divided)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes with purée
- 6 ounces Italian fontina (shredded)
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat; add sausage. Sauté, breaking up meat until no longer pink and beginning to brown. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon; pour off drippings, leaving behind brown bits. Add remaining oil and mushrooms to pan. Sauté until mushrooms begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add shallots; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and rosemary; sauté 1 minute more. Add wine, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until wine is nearly evaporated. Season with ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper. Return sausage to pan and stir to combine.
- Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook until foaming but not colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk; bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Cook rigatoni according to package directions, undercooking it by 3 minutes. Drain; return to pot. Add sausage mixture to pasta; toss well. Add béchamel and crushed tomatoes; stir to combine. Stir in fontina and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Transfer pasta mixture to baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmigiano Reggiano over top; cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Italian
This article was originally posted as, “Baked Pasta with Sausage, Mushrooms and Fontina” on Relish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute a different type of sausage in the Baked Mushroom Sausage and Fontina Pasta?
Yes, you can use any type of sausage you prefer, such as turkey sausage or a spicy Italian sausage, but keep in mind that this may alter the flavor profile of the dish.
Do I need to cook the mushrooms before adding them to the pasta?
Yes, you should sauté the mushrooms until they are browned and tender before combining them with the sausage and pasta to enhance their flavor.
What type of pasta works best for this recipe?
Short pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli are ideal as they hold the sauce and ingredients well, but you can use any pasta you prefer.
