The Cottage Kitchen: Sausage Pasta Bake

This is one of those 'go to' dishes that I've changed so much over the years from it's original recipe and really depends on what you have on hand at the time that I feel a bit of a fraud for posting it - I remember it started out as a recipe on the inside of a condensed chicken soup label and I think that and pasta is about the only two ingredients that I still use from that original recipe. So quite frankly throw whatever you want into this one - if you like something go for it. Worse case scenario, put more cheese on top (lets face it, everythings better with cheese) and everything will be fine.

The quantities that I've stated usually comes out to 8-10 servings depending on everyones appetite, but even though there's only my husband and I in our household, I always make this amount because it's great as a cold pasta for the next day or two lunches and it also freezes pretty good - if I'm going to freeze it I don't put any extra cheese on top or bake it beforehand.

Sausage Pasta Bake
Yields 8-10 servings

200-250g dried pasta
1 Tbs olive oil (I sometimes use garlic flavoured)
4-5 mixed colour peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced OR 1 tsp dried
1 can (369ml) diced tomatoes including juice
1 can (284ml) condenced chicken OR mushroom soup (I had chicken this time)
1 soup can of water
1-1 1/2 cups grated cheese
6-8 cooked sausages of choice, diced (anything from hotdog to gourmet works)
a few splashes of Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper

preheat oven to 400 F.
cook the pasta to slightly UNDER al dente - it will be cooking more in the oven later.
while the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet on medium to high heat fry the peppers, onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, soup and 1/2 a can of water until bubbling.
add half of the cheese and stir until melted, then add the diced sausages.
at this stage if you think the sauce is too thick (you'll be adding the pasta next so you'll need it a little on the liquid stage), then you can add the other half of the water.
season with salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to personal taste, and simmer everything for a couple of minutes.
add the drained cooked pasta and stir until all is combined.
ladle into 2 or 3 casserole dishes (depending on size), sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes until casserole is bubbling and cheese is golden.
if you're going to freeze some of it, let it cool in the skillet completely before you ladle into freezable containers and label.