Spicy sausage pasta bake with tomato sauce and baked pasta served as a comforting family meal

Spicy Sausage and Pasta Bake

Published 02 December 2025 · Updated 12 October 2026

Peppery Cumberland sausages and a chilli-spiked tomato sauce coat the penne beneath a bubbling cheese topping. Cook the pasta while the sauce simmers, keeping it slightly firm so it finishes in the oven without turning soft.

Not kitchen tested by The Black Farmer.
Serves 4
Prep 15 min
Cook 50 min
Total 70 min

Ingredients

Adds 1 items across 1 products — £3.82 total.

Pantry ingredients such as oil, salt and herbs are not included.

Other Ingredients You'll Need

  • Onion — 1 medium, finely chopped
  • Garlic — 2 cloves, minced
  • Chilli flakes — 1 tsp, or less to taste
  • Olive oil — 2 tsp
  • Tomato passata — 500g
  • Penne pasta — 300g dry
  • Mozzarella — 150g low-moisture mozzarella, grated, or fresh mozzarella, well drained and torn
  • Parmesan — 50g, grated
  • Fresh basil — a few leaves, to finish
  • Pasta cooking water — up to 100ml, reserved; use only as needed to loosen the sauce
  • Salt and black pepper — to taste

Method

Prepare the dish

Allow 15 minutes to chop and measure. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Use a baking dish of 2.5–3 litres, leaving headroom, a large frying pan and a saucepan. Cut the raw sausages into pieces about 2cm long on a separate board and wash hands and utensils afterward. This recipe uses one 400g sausage pack for four portions with pasta and sauce. Oven preheating and bringing the pasta water to the boil are included in preparation. Start the water heating now and keep it ready at a gentle simmer until needed; extend preparation if it is not ready after 15 minutes.

Soften the aromatics

Heat all 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, then add garlic and chilli flakes and stir for 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn.

Brown the sausages

Add the sausage pieces and brown for about 7 minutes, turning frequently. Lower the heat if the onion begins to catch. Colour alone does not show that sausages are cooked through.

Simmer the sauce and cook the pasta

Add the passata and season. Allow about 1 minute to bring it to a simmer, then simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring. At the same time, return the prepared saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook the penne for about 2 minutes less than the pack’s al dente time. Reserve 100ml cooking water before draining. The sauce and pasta share an approximately 11-minute window; if the packet or boiling time needs longer, extend the cooking and total estimates. The pasta should still have a firm centre, not be soft.

Assemble and bake

Allow about 5 minutes to combine the pasta, sauce and sausage pieces in the baking dish. Stir in a little reserved pasta water only if needed: the sauce should coat the pasta generously and remain loose, not watery. Scatter both cheeses evenly over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes until the top bubbles and the middle is steaming hot. Check several of the largest sausage pieces, including those in the centre, with a clean thermometer: their centres must reach at least 75°C, held for 30 seconds. Clean the probe after use. Start checking before the end of the baking allowance; the hold is included only if achieved within it. Cook longer if needed rather than relying on the browned top.

Rest and serve

Rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with basil and serve with a green salad. The 70-minute total includes prep, the overlapping pasta/sauce stage and the rest. Extra boiling or baking time extends it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are garlic and cheese pantry ingredients?

The recipe quantities are small. The basket adds only the principal sausage pack; garlic, onion, cheese, pasta and sauce are listed separately so a bulk pack is not forced into the meal.

Is the whole meal gluten free?

The linked sausages are sold as gluten free, but ordinary penne is not. Do not call this dish gluten free unless every ingredient, including pasta and sauces, is suitable. Check current pack labels and cross-contact requirements.

How does the timing add up?

Allow 15 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking and assembly, and 5 minutes rest. Cooking covers 7 minutes aromatics, 7 minutes browning, 11 minutes heating/simmering sauce, 5 minutes assembly and 20 minutes baking. Pasta overlaps sauce cooking.