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pasta and beans

This baked pasta and beans casserole combines juicy Italian sausage, tender penne pasta, cannellini beans, and a rich tomato sauce with a blend of cheeses for a hearty Italian comfort dish.
Prep : 10 Total : 25 minutes
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Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients

  • 1 pound penne pasta cooked according to package directions
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage regular or hot
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or as needed
  • 1 cup onion white or yellow, diced small
  • 2 ribs celery diced small
  • 1 medium carrot diced small or thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic finely diced
  • 28 ounces canned whole plum tomatoes such as San Marzano
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 0.5 teaspoon dried basil
  • 0.5 teaspoon thyme
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 15 ounces cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine such as chardonnay or pinot grigio; can substitute low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 cup provolone cheese shredded
  • 0.5 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions
 

Preparation Steps

  • Preheat oven to 400F and grease a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish or 9x13 baking pan.
  • Cook penne pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
  • Sauté ground Italian sausage in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until browned; set aside.
  • Add olive oil if needed to same skillet; sauté onion, celery, and carrot over medium-high heat for 10–15 minutes until softened and translucent.
  • Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  • Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, rosemary, basil, thyme, salt, and black pepper; simmer gently for 10 minutes.
  • Stir cooked sausage into tomato sauce.
  • Add cannellini beans and white wine, simmer 5 more minutes, then turn off heat.
  • In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
  • Sprinkle flour over butter and cook 1 minute to make a roux.
  • Slowly add milk to roux, simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened.
  • Stir in Parmesan and provolone cheeses until melted and smooth.
  • Combine cooked penne with sauce and sausage mixture; stir well.
  • Transfer mixture to prepared casserole dish.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake for about 5 minutes until cheese is lightly golden brown.
  • Let the dish rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe can be prepared ahead or frozen for convenience. Leftovers store well in the fridge for up to 5 days.