Fire-Roasted Squash Bake

This meal-prep recipe makes two casseroles so you've got one for now and one to freeze for later.

black casserole dish with Fire-Roasted Squash Bake
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Prep Time:
45 mins
Bake Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Servings:
12
Yield:
24 cups pasta mixture

Ingredients

  • 2 14-16 ounce pkg. dried short multigrain pasta, such as penne or rotini

  • 2 pound bulk Italian sausage

  • 6 cup 1/2-inch cubes butternut squash (2 lb.)

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce

  • 2 14.5 ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

  • ½ cup dry red wine

  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • 2 cup shredded smoked mozzarella or Gruyère cheese (8 oz.)

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

  1. In an 8-qt. pot cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, leaving pasta in colander.

  2. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a 6-qt. Dutch oven cook sausage, squash, and onion over medium-high heat 15 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in next six ingredients (through pepper).

  3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Transfer half of the sauce (about 6 cups) to pasta cooking pot. Add half of the cooked pasta (about 9 cups) to sauce in each pan; stir to combine.

  4. Line a 3-qt. rectangular baking dish with foil, then plastic wrap; coat plastic wrap with cooking spray. Transfer one portion of pasta mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Cover with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray, then foil. Freeze until firm. Remove frozen mixture from baking dish. Store in freezer up to 2 months.

  5. Coat another 3-qt. rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer remaining portion of pasta mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is starting to brown. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

To Reheat

Coat a 3-qt. rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Remove foil and plastic wrap from frozen pasta mixture; return mixture to prepared dish. Thaw in refrigerator 24 to 48 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake, covered with foil, 10 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is starting to brown. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

536 Calories
17g Fat
73g Carbs
23g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 536
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 1019mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 73g 27%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 31.9mg 160%
Calcium 225mg 17%
Iron 5.7mg 32%
Potassium 618mg 13%
Folate, total 170.2mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.5mcg
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.

Related Articles