Sausage, Tomato, and Penne Casserole

This dish is one of my family's favorites. It is easy to make, very flavorful and delicious, and freezes well if you want to make it into a freezer meal. I broke up the ingredients below so that it would make it easier if you are making it into a freezer meal kit (see instructions below the recipe). I made a freezer kit version of this tonight and dinner was on the table in about 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta

8 ounces mild Italian sausage
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 medium white onion, sliced vertically
2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 can diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons Italian tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil)
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. While pasta cooks, remove sausage from casings (if applicable). Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 2 minutes until tender. Add sausage and cook 7-8 minutes until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in canned tomatoes and next 6 ingredients. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat broiler.
4. Drain pasta and add it into the pan with the sausage mixture; toss evenly to coat. Transfer mixture to a 11x7-inch casserole pan coated with baking spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serves 6

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To make it into a freezer meal kit:
1. Put uncooked Penne into a quart-sized freezer bag.
2. Cook the onion, garlic, and sausage (as directed in step 2 above). When cool, put this mixture in a quart-sized freezer bag.
3. Mix canned tomatoes and next 6 ingredients in a quart-sized freezer bag.
4. Put cheese in a quart-sized freezer bag.
5. Put all 4 freezer bags into one gallon-sized bag. Label the outside with the name of the dish, the date, and write the following directions:

1. Thaw freezer meal completely.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
3. While pasta cooks, add sausage mixture into a large non-stick pan and cook 1-2 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir in tomato mixture. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Preheat broiler.
5. Drain pasta and add it into the pan with the sausage mixture; toss evenly to coat. Transfer mixture to a 11x7-inch casserole pan coated with baking spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Broil 2 minutes or until the cheese is melted.