Ingredients

The following ingredients have 7 Servings
  • 1 pound(s) Italian sausage links, sliced
  • 3 cup(s) fresh sliced mushrooms (optional)
  • 1 - onion chopped
  • 1 - bell pepper chopped
  • 1 teaspoon(s) minced garlic
  • 2 can(s) 15 oz. Italian stewed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon(s) Italian seasoning
  • 8 ounce(s) rotini pasta, cooked al dente, drained
  • 1 - 8 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 - 2 oz can pitted ripe olives, halved ( optional)
  • - salt and pepper to taste

Instruction

  • In large skillet, cook Italian sausage until slices are no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
  • Remove sausage from the skillet and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the drippings.
  • In skillet, saute mushrooms, onions, bell pepper and garlic just under tender-crisp.
  • In large bowl, combine sausage, mushrooms, bell pepper mixture, stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning.
  • Place a layer of pasta on the bottom of dish. Spoon mixture into a greased 3-quart or 9x13 baking dish. Add half of the mozzarella cheese and repeat layers.
  • Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining cheese over top of casserole and return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted on top.
  • Variation: I always use spaghetti sauce instead of the Italian stewed tomatoes and season to my taste. I cook the sausage, onions, peppers and add to the spaghetti sauce. The sauce is cooked for 4 to 5 hours in the crock-pot and then layered in a casserole or 9x13 baking dish. I tend to use 2 cups of cheese because we are cheese lovers. To change the taste I will vary the cheese with the shredded Italian blend cheese along with the mozzarella cheese. I cook this until the casserole is heated throughout and the cheese is bubbling and melted.