Name: Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Sausage and Peppers
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Ingredients: 1 pound rotini; 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt , plus salt for cooking pasta; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage , casings removed; 2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin; 1 onion , halved and sliced thin; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream; 1 1⁄4 cups whole milk; 10 ounces American cheese , shredded (2½ cups); 10 ounces fontina cheese , shredded (2 1⁄2 cups), divided; 4 ounces Parmesan cheese , shredded (1 1/3 cups); 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 2 teaspoons pepper; 2 teaspoons paprika; 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (optional)

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Sausage and Peppers

By Matthew Fairman

Published on March 5, 2024

Time

1¼ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Serves 8 to 10

Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

1 pound rotini 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for cooking pasta1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), stemmed, seeded, and sliced thin1 onion, halved and sliced thin2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream 1 1⁄4 cups whole milk 10 ounces American cheese, shredded (2½ cups)10 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (2 1⁄2 cups), divided4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (1 ⅓ cups)2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons pepper 2 teaspoons paprika 2 teaspoons fennel seeds (optional)

Before You Begin

Fusilli can be substituted for the rotini. Some popular brands of sausage come in packs that range from 14 to 19 ounces; this recipe will work well with any amount of sausage in that range. Use a 10-ounce block of American cheese from the deli counter rather than presliced cheese.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until just al dente. Drain pasta; set aside.

Add butter to now-empty pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until sausage begins to render its fat, about 2 minutes. Stir in bell peppers, onion, and salt and cook until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer 1 cup sausage mixture to small bowl; set aside.

Stir flour into remaining sausage mixture in pot and cook for 1 minute. Stir in cream and milk, bring to boil, and cook until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Add American cheese, 1 cup fontina, Parmesan, mustard, and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is completely melted, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir pasta into sauce until thoroughly coated.

Transfer pasta mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and spread into even layer. Sprinkle with remaining 1½ cups fontina; reserved sausage mixture; paprika; and fennel seeds, if using.

Bake until topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbling, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes. Serve.

to make ahead

Fully assembled casserole, prepared through step 4, can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, remove plastic and bake until heated through, 40 to 45 minutes.