Baked Pasta with Sausage, Mushrooms and Mascarpone : Bake-Along #66

One more baked pasta dish  for Bake-Along, where our theme is "Baked Pasta".  

I have cooked this pasta dish before, many months ago, and find it really tasty. So, I made this again a few days ago. Any short dried pasta can be used, and I've used Spirals. Recipe calls for Italian sausage, of which I'v made my own (will share that on another day), and instead of Bella Mushrooms, I have used a mixture of freesh Shiitake and Brown Shimeji Mushrooms. For the mascarpone cheese, I've made my own Homemade Mascarpone Cheese. Yay! For homemade! I made the cheese two days earlier. Mascarpone Cheese is really easy to make, much cheaper and is just as good, if not better!  :)

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Mushrooms and Mascarpone

1. The sausage meat is cooked in a little oil, breaking up the meat, stirring about 5 minutes until they are no longer pink. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic. Stir for about 6-8 minutes until onions are soft.
2. Add in the mascarpone cheese, milk and chopped parsley. Season with salt to taste and generously with black pepper.
3. Turn down heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Toss in the drained boiled pasta, stir to mix evenly, adding some pasta water if appear dry. (It should be very moist, I added in a little more milk and some pasta water). Transfer to a large baking casserole dish or individual dish, and top with breadcrumbs mixture (see below), bake in a preheated oven at 175F for 25 minutes, until top is brown and crispy. Serve hot.

The topping, a mixture of some coarse breadcrumbs, chopped parsley (I used about 1/4 cup chopped coriander), finely grated Parmesan cheese and some olive oil. Mix to combine.

Hot from the oven, and smells good!

Really delicious! We like the tasty crispy topping, yummy! And this pasta dish can even be eaten as soon as the pasta are tossed in the sauce. You can omit the topping and skip the baking. Either way, this is a delicious pasta meal!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Mushrooms and Mascarpone
(adapted from seriouseats.com)
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 links Italian sausage (about 3/4 pound total), casings removed
8 ounces fresh Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped onion (about 1/2 medium)
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1-1/2 cups mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pasta of choice such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or pasta shells
1/3 cups coarse breadcrumbs
1-1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 ounce)

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until slightly smoking, and add the sausage meat. Cook until the meal is no longer pink, about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a fork as it cooks. Add the onions, mushrooms and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the mascarpone cheese, milk, and chopped parsley. Stir to mix well, and continue to cook until the mixture is thick, about five minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and keep warm.
2. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 375F. Cook the pasta in the boiling water, removing it two to three minutes less than the recommended cooking time. It should still retain a slightly raw bite in the center. Reserve a small cup of pasta water, drain, and return pasta to the pot. Toss the pasta with the mushroom and sausage sauce. It the sauce is very thick add about 1/4 cup of the pasta water to loosen.
3. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parsley, parmesan, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil, rubbing the oil into the crumbs with your fingertips.
4. Transfer the pasta to a 13-by-9-inch casserole dish (or 6 smaller ones) and sprinkle the crumb topping over the pasta. Bake until the pasta is bubbly and top is golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

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