Baked pasta with sausage and peas

Name: Baked pasta with sausage and peas
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Rigatoni 1.1 lbs; Béchamel sauce 3 cups; Sausage fresh 10.5 oz; Pizza mozzarella cheese 10.5 oz; Peas 1 cup; Prosciutto cotto 5.3 oz; Yellow onions 0.4 cup; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1.5 oz; White wine 1.7 oz; Extra virgin olive oil to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serving: 6
Cost: Low
Note + 10 min. resting time

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Rossella Maraio

Baked pasta with sausage and peas is a dish that can turn any regular meal into something really special. I mean, in Southern Italy, this baked pasta recipe is a go-to when you need comfort food. And look, the creamy béchamel sauce—so dreamy—coats each piece of pasta, wrapping it in a moist, cozy layer. Plus, the rich Italian sausage and the sweet pop of peas mean each bite is different. Tender sausage bits, golden pools of melted mozzarella, and fresh peas cutting through. Really good stuff.

You know, it's like a classic “svuotafrigo” move, using what you already have. Which is great. It's a perfect pick when you want hearty without too much fuss.

Whether it's for family lunches or those big Sunday dinners, this sausage and peas pasta bake really really shines. The cheese melts into the sauce, and look, the top gets just a bit crispy in the oven. Seriously good. And everyone reaches for that golden bite first. Thing is, you will not find just one "right" way to make this across Italy, but it definitely captures true comfort food vibes. It's less about fancy ingredients and more about flavors that work side by side.

The creamy white sauce highlights the baked pasta with sausage and peas, steering clear of that overpowering tomato taste in other pasta dishes. So here's the deal: you get a dish that's both rich and pretty simple—a solid choice for those who dig comfort food recipes or need an easy baked pasta for weeknights. Pair it with a green salad or some bread, and you've got a meal that's tender, filling, and sure to please. And you know what, the beauty of this dish is how it brings people together—serving as a reminder of home-cooked meals with loved ones. It's really, for real, the heart of Italian cuisine.

How to prepare Baked pasta with sausage and peas

To make the baked pasta with sausage and peas, first finely chop the onion 1, then soften it in a pan with a drizzle of oil 2. Remove the casing from the sausage, crumble it with your hands and add it to the sauté 3.

Brown the sausage for about 5 minutes, stirring often 4. In the meantime, cut the mozzarella into cubes 5. Add the peas to the pan, stir and continue cooking for 7–8 minutes, until the sausage is well browned and the peas have softened.

Deglaze with the white wine 7 and let the alcohol evaporate completely. Season with salt 8 and pepper. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni in plenty of salted water 9.

Meanwhile, cut the cooked ham into cubes 10. Drain the rigatoni al dente and transfer them to a large bowl, dress with a drizzle of oil 11 and mix well so they don't stick. Add the sausage with the peas to the pasta 12.

Also add almost all of the béchamel 13 and the cubed cooked ham 14. Stir well with a spoon until the sauce is evenly distributed 15.

Spread a thin layer of béchamel on the bottom of a 13.4 x 9.8 in (34 x 25 cm) baking dish, then add half of the dressed pasta 16. Scatter the pizza mozzarella cut into cubes 17, then cover with the remaining pasta 18.

Finish with grated Parmigiano Reggiano 19 and bake in a preheated conventional oven at 392°F for about 30 minutes, until the surface is golden and lightly gratinated. Remove the baked pasta with sausage and peas from the oven 20 and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving 21.

Storage

Baked pasta with sausage and peas can be stored in the refrigerator in a closed container for 2 days. Before serving, reheat it in the oven or microwave, adding, if necessary, 1 tablespoon of milk or béchamel to make it creamy again.

You can also freeze it already cooked and let it thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.