Smoked Sausage Pasta Bake

5 from 2 votes

Pure comfort food! This Smoked Sausage Pasta Bake is an easy casserole that will soon become your family's favorite dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword Pasta Bake, smoked sausage pasta, smoked sausage pasta bake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings - 8 people

Calories 353.4kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

8 ounces uncooked rotini pasta (about 2 ½ cups dry)
13 oz. smoked sausage, sliced into rounds (I used turkey kielbasa, but you can use any smoked sausage that you prefer)
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup, NOT diluted
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup, NOT diluted
1 (28 ounce) can Red Gold® Whole Peeled Tomatoes, drained and diced into bite-sized pieces
1 ½ cups French-fried onions, divided
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup frozen peas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water just until al dente (but still a bit firm), about 6 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, brown sausage in a large skillet.
In a large bowl, stir together milk and condensed soups until smooth. Add chopped tomatoes, ½ cup of onions, ½ cup cheese, frozen peas, sausage and cooked pasta. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Sprinkle with remaining onions and cheese. Bake, uncovered, for about 3-5 more minutes (just until the cheese is melted).

I use turkey kielbasa sausage, but any variety of smoked sausage will work here. You could even use sliced hot dogs, if that's what your kids love!
Feel free to substitute a different short pasta for the rotini. If you have wagon wheels or penne, those would both be great options for this casserole.
Cook your pasta just until it's al dente -- with a slight bite to it. The pasta will continue cooking in the oven, so you don't want it overdone and mushy by the end.
To prep ahead: Assemble the casserole as instructed, but do not bake. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, and then bake as instructed.
To freeze: Sprinkle remaining onions and cheese over unbaked casserole. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake casserole as instructed, but you may need to increase the baking time to heat the casserole thoroughly.
Leftover baked pasta will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.