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Rotini Bake With Sausage and Caramelized Vegetables

This is a fabulous Make-ahead casserole and is a holiday timesaver

Do-ahead means we can do it – whether we're having guests for a festive dinner at home or we need a take-along dish for a holiday potluck.

Rotini Bake with Sausage and Caramelized Vegetables can be assembled ahead in two quick phases. This means the casserole can be partially prepared a whole day ahead; then, you can come back to it whenever you have a 10-minute window for preparation on the day company arrives.

Then the casserole pops into the oven to warm through for about 20 minutes just before serving. That's realistic even for a weeknight.

Caramelizing the vegetables, a fancy term for frying them until they are golden brown, adds so much depth of flavor that you will be the only person who will know this casserole is easy.

Either Alfredo sauce from the refrigerator section of the grocery store or jarred Alfredo sauce (in the aisle with the spaghetti sauce) can be used. If you're using the jar, measure out 1 cup and save the rest for another meal.

Serve Rotini Bake With Sausage and Caramelized Vegetables accompanied by a tossed salad and Italian bread.

Rotini Bake With Sausage and Caramelized Vegetables

8 servings

• 1 package (1 pound) rotini
• 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage
• 1 large onion (for about 1 cup chopped)
• 1 large red bell pepper (for about 1 cup chopped)
• 1 large orange or yellow pepper (for about 1 cup chopped)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 container (10 ounces) refrigerated Alfredo-style pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon bottled minced garlic
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Place the pasta in 4 quarts of boiling unsalted water and cook according to the package directions until tender, about 10 to 11 minutes. Meanwhile, if the sausage has casings, remove them by cutting the casings with a sharp knife. Brown the sausage over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet. Stir from time to time, breaking sausage into bite-size pieces. While sausage cooks, peel and coarsely chop the onion, reserving it in a small container. Rinse and seed peppers, and chop into bite-size pieces. Reserve in a separate container.

When sausage is done, pour it into a colander and drain well. Pat with paper towels to remove as much fat as possible. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking-oil spray. Pour sausage into the dish. Drain rotini into the same colander. Pour rotini in the dish with sausage and toss. (The baking dish and vegetable containers may be refrigerated at this point, covered, up to 24 hours.)

Heat oil on medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet. Add reserved onions and cook 2 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add reserved bell peppers and cook, stirring from time to time, until vegetables begin to caramelize, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk Alfredo sauce, milk and basil in a 1-quart bowl until well combined. Set aside. Add garlic to skillet with vegetables and cook 1 minute.

Remove reserved pasta and sausage from refrigerator and add the cooked vegetables and sauce mixture to the dish. Stir until pasta is coated with sauce. Season lightly with salt and black pepper. Use a spoon to spread the pasta-meat-vegetable mixture evenly in the dish and sprinkle the parmesan cheese evenly over it. (The dish may be covered and refrigerated up to 12 hours at this point.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until heated through and just beginning to brown on top. Serve.

Start to finish: 30 minutes preparation, 20 minutes baking time.

Per serving: 417 calories (32 percent from fat), 15 g fat (7 g saturated), 45 mg cholesterol, 21 g protein, 51 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 532 mg sodium.

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