Baked Penne with Sausage, Spinach and Cheese

Posted by: Jeannie 08-26-99 4:24 AM

Baked Penne with Sausage, Spinach and Cheese

1 lb. pork sausage
1 large onion chopped
butter or margarine
3 tables. Flour
2 cups half-and-half
1 beef bouillon packet
1 (8 oz.) bag Mexican or Chedder cheese (2 cups), divided
1 to 2 teas. Sugar, or to taste
1 teas. Salt
1/4 teas. Pepper
Hot pepper sauce to taste (about 6 shakes)
2 (10 oz.). packages frozen chopped spinach, cooked or thawed and drained
1 lb. box penne, cooked according to directions and drained


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Crumble and cook sausage in a saute pan until no longer pink, breaking up with a fork; transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon.

Add onion to skillet and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes; transfer to bowl with sausage using a slotted spoon.

Add butter to grease in skillet to measure 3 to 4 tablespoons. Add flour to grease and make a medium white sauce, gradually adding half & half. Add 1 beef bouillon packet to sauce. Don't let sauce get too thick add milk to thin it down.

Add 1/2 bag of shredded cheese to mixture. Add sugar, salt , pepper and hot sauce. Return sausage and onions to sauce; remove from burner and keep warm.

Mix cooked spinach and penne in large pan, making sure spinach is separated. Pour sauce over pasta and spinach and transfer to a casserole dish.

Bake 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with remaining half of cheese mixture and bake additional 5 minutes (until cheese melts).

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