Recipes and Cooking Cheesy Italian Baked Pasta 4.6 (5) Add your rating & review By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on March 11, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Karla Conrad Prep Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Bake Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 9 cups Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 2 medium red sweet peppers or 1 cup chopped roasted red sweet peppers 9 ounce dry whole grain or multigrain ziti or penne pasta 1 ½ tablespoon light butter with canola oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour ⅛ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon black pepper 1 ½ cup milk 12 ounce bulk Italian turkey sausage ½ cup chopped onion 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed 1 ½ cup purchased marinara sauce 1 ½ cup reduced-fat shredded Italian-blend cheese Fresh oregano leaves (optional) Directions If using fresh red sweet peppers, preheat oven to 450°F. Cut peppers into quarters; remove stems and seeds. Place pepper quarters, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until skins are evenly charred. Bring edges of foil up around peppers to enclose. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Using a small sharp knife, peel off charred skin and discard. Chop the peppers. (If using roasted red sweet peppers, skip this step.) Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until combined; cook and stir until bubbly but not brown. Whisk in milk all at once; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Remove from heat. In a large skillet cook sausage and onion over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and oregano. Stir in milk mixture. Add roasted red peppers, drained pasta, pasta sauce, and half of the cheese; stir until well combined. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted and pasta is heated. If desired top with oregano leaves. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 423 Calories 14g Fat 47g Carbs 26g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 423 % Daily Value * Total Fat 14g 18% Saturated Fat 6g 30% Cholesterol 59mg 20% Sodium 1054mg 46% Total Carbohydrate 47g 17% Total Sugars 11g Protein 26g Vitamin C 54.2mg 271% Calcium 316mg 24% Iron 2.5mg 14% Potassium 413mg 9% Folate, total 37mcg Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg Vitamin B-6 0.3mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.