Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Sausage and Peppers – includes the Italian classic of Sausage and Peppers baked into mac and cheese.

Fusilli can be substituted for the rotini. Some popular brands of sausage come in packs that range from 14 to 19 ounces; this recipe will work well with any amount of sausage in that range. Use a 10-ounce block of American cheese from the deli counter rather than presliced cheese.

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS
1 pound rotini
½ teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin
1 onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups heavy cream
1¼ cups whole milk
10 ounces American cheese, shredded (2½ cups)
10 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (2½ cups), divided
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (11/3 cups)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons fennel seeds (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until just al dente. Drain pasta; set aside.

Add butter to now-empty pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until sausage begins to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, and salt and cook until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer 1 cup sausage mixture to small bowl; set aside.

Stir flour into remaining sausage mixture in pot and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cream and milk, bring to boil, and cook until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Add American cheese, 1 cup fontina, Parmesan, mustard, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is completely melted, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir pasta into sauce until thoroughly coated.

Transfer pasta mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and spread into even layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1½ cups fontina; reserved sausage mixture; paprika; and fennel seeds, if using.

Bake until topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve.

TO MAKE AHEAD
Fully assembled casserole, prepared through step 4, can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove plastic and bake until heated through, 40 to 45 minutes.

White Spaghetti Pie is a comforting baked pasta that combines Pecorino and Fontina cheese with eggs and cracked black pepper to create a sauce that’s tossed with spaghetti, and baked in a skillet until perfectly crisp on the outside but still creamy on the inside.

Serves 8

sipandfeast.com

INGREDIENTS
1 pound spaghetti
8 large eggs beaten
1 ½ teaspoons coarse cracked black pepper
¾ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated, divided
2 cups Fontina cheese shredded, divided
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375f and set a rack on the middle level and the other rack near the top.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until 2 minutes less than al dente.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper. Add 1 ½ cups Fontina, and a ½ cup of Pecorino Romano cheese and stir to combine.

Heat a 10-inch oven-proof or ideally a cast iron pan to medium heat.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the bowl. Mix well to combine.

Add the butter and oil to the hot pan and spread to coat the whole pan. Add the spaghetti mixture to the pan and cook for 1 minute without stirring then turn off the heat.

Top with the remaining Fontina and Pecorino and bake for 15 minutes in the center of the oven or until the spaghetti pie is set. For a browner top, move the pan to the upper rack and broil for 1-2 minutes but watch carefully.

Let the spaghetti pie sit for 5 minutes before cutting it into slices.

Note:
– The exact cooking time will vary but should be around 15 minutes. Bake the spaghetti pie just until it sets, then if desired, move to the broiler to further brown the top.

A creamy mushroom pasta bake is the best answer to “what’s for dinner” when you’re craving warm, comforting, and creamy pasta. Loaded with flavor from fontina cheese, roasted mushrooms, spinach, thyme, ricotta, and just a hint of nutmeg, this baked pasta is both decadent and simple.

Serves 4

sipandfeast.com

INGREDIENTS
For the roasted mushrooms:
1 ½ pounds Baby Bella mushrooms quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh thyme
¼ cup olive oil

Remaining ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni
¾ pound ricotta
½ pound fontina cheese shredded
¾ cup heavy cream
8 ounces baby spinach steamed, drained
2 cloves garlic paste
½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano divided
1 pinch nutmeg optional

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 450f and set one rack to the second-lowest position and the other to the middle of the oven. Toss mushrooms with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread out mushrooms on a baking sheet and roast on the lower rack for 15-20 minutes or until well browned. Don’t overcrowd the mushrooms. Use two sheets if necessary.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt) to boil and cook the rigatoni until very al dente. About 2 minutes less than package instructions.

Cook spinach for 30 seconds in boiling water and drain. Once able to handle, squeeze the water out then chop. In a large bowl mix together the spinach, nutmeg, heavy cream, ricotta, Fontina cheese, ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, and the roasted mushrooms.

Add the pasta to the bowl and mix once more. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Place contents of the bowl in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Top with the remaining Parmigiano and bake for 15 minutes covered. Covering with parchment paper then foil will prevent sticking.

After 15 minutes remove covering and bake for 5 minutes more until golden. For even more color broil for the last 1-2 minutes but watch very carefully.

Wait 15 minutes before serving so that the cheese settles.

Notes:

• The recipe makes 4 very large or 6 normal size servings.
• Undercook the pasta by about 2-3 minutes, since it will cook longer in the oven.
• Mozzarella, soft provolone, or swiss can all be substituted for Fontina cheese.
• Make sure to drain the spinach by squeezing the water out. This will prevent the baked pasta from becoming too liquidy.
• Placing parchment paper then foil over the pasta will ensure no sticking.

Love Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna for its vegetable forward yet comforting and familiar flavors.

Serves 12

vermontcreamery.com

INGREDIENTS
6 Cups Butternut squash (about 1 medium squash)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
6 tablespoons Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter – 82% Butterfat
3 cloves garlic
12 leaves fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup shredded gouda or fontina cheese
2 cups whole milk ricotta
2 cups shredded provlone
20 oz frozen spinach
1 box no-boil lasagna pasta sheets
1 oz thinly sliced prosciutto

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 ºF. Lightly butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.

On a baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the butter, garlic, sage, and rosemary, in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until the butter begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the sage and rosemary from the skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and broth, whisking until combined. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and stir for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the gouda or fontina cheese and the spinach. Stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, mash the roasted butternut squash until mostly smooth. Stir in the ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets. Spread with 1/2 the butternut squash mixture, and then another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and a handful of provolone. Repeat the layering until all the squash and sauce have been used…don’t stress about making it perfect. Arrange the prosciutto on top, if using. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Top with the reserved fried sage and rosemary. Enjoy!

Even sautéed cauliflower feels decadent in this cheesy-crunchy baked pasta from Ina Garten. Be careful not to overcook your pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven.

Serves 6-8

foodandwine.com

INGREDIENTS
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¾ pound shells (medium such as Barilla)
Good olive oil
2 ½ pounds cauliflower (1 large head cut into small florets)
3 tablespoons sage leaves (roughly chopped fresh)
2 tablespoons capers (drained)
1 tablespoon garlic (3 cloves minced)
½ teaspoon lemon zest (grated)
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups Italian Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese (10 oz. with rind freshly grated, lightly packed) – can sub Gruyère, provolone, Gouda, or Emmental
1 cup Ricotta (8 ounces)
½ cup panko (Japanese bread flakes)
6 tablespoons Italian Pecorino cheese (freshly grated)
2 tablespoons parsley leaves (minced fresh)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400°

Fill a large pot with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to the instructions on the package. Since it will be baked later, don’t overcook it! Drain and pour into a very large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch) sauté pan over medium-high heat, add half of the cauliflower in one layer and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the florets are lightly browned and tender. Pour the cauliflower, including the small bits, into the bowl with the pasta. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan, add the remaining cauliflower, cook until browned and tender and add to the bowl.

Add the sage, capers, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl and stir carefully. Stir in the Fontina. Transfer half of the mixture to a 10 x 13 x 2–inch rectangular baking dish. Spoon rounded tablespoons of ricotta on the pasta and spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top. Combine the panko, Pecorino, parsley and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly on top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until browned and crusty on top. Serve hot.

Make Ahead:
Assemble the dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake before serving.