A Cookbook with Options

Baked Penne in the Oven Easier than lasagna and just as tasty. Prep time 20-30 minutes. Cook time 60-70 minutes. 6-8 servings. Oven Baked Penne Ingredients 12 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese (optional) 2 T olive oil ½ tsp salt ½ tsp pepper 12 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese 3 oz. parmesan cheese 1 ½ lbs. penne pasta 1 ½ c pasta cooking water 1 24 oz. jar marinara sauce 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage or 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean regular sausage plus ½ tsp sage ¼ c bacon crumbles or 4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook penne according to package directions reserving 1 ½ cups of pasta cooking water. In a separate bowl, toss the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese together. Cook the Jimmy Dean sausage in a skillet until browned. Drain the sausage on a paper towel. Put the sausage back into the skillet. Add the bacon and marinara sauce, pasta cooking water, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the cooked penne and stir. In whatever pan or pans you are using, (see below) pour half the sausage mixture into the pan(s), drop large spoonsful of ricotta cheese over the sausage layer, if using, then pour remaining sausage mixture on top the ricotta layer. Sprinkle the top with the blended cheese mixture. If using right away, cover dish with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is beginning to brown and sauce is bubbling. You can use a 13X9X2 pan or substitute 2 8X8 pans or 3 loaf pans for this recipe. Make Ahead Option: You can bake the dish right away or you can freeze for a couple of months. If frozen, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours, and then bake at 400 degrees, covered in foil, for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes.   Penne in the Slow Cooker I love meals I can put in the slow cooker and forget about until dinner time. Prep time 10-15 minutes. Cook time 2-3 hours. 6-8 servings. Slow Cooker Penne Ingredients 8 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese (optional) 8 oz. Italian blend cheese 8 oz. penne pasta 1 jar marinara sauce 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean sage sausage or 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean regular sausage and ½ tsp sage 1/3 c bacon crumbles or 5 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper Instructions: Make a foil collar measuring 16 inches by 4 inches and has six layers. Place collar on the backside of the slow cooker. Add a liner if using. Microwave Jimmy Dean sausage until browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Drain. Add bacon, marinara sauce, 1 tsp. salt and ½ tsp. pepper, and stir to combine. Place penne in slow cooker. Cover pasta with sausage mixture. Add 1 ½ cups of water and stir. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours on high. Top with spoonsful of ricotta cheese, if using, and cover with Italian cheese blend. Put lid back on and cook on high for 10 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with garlic bread and a Caesar salad. Penne in the Instant Pot Pasta in the Instant Pot is soft and gooey with perfectly melted cheese. Prep time 10-15 minutes. Cook time 4 minutes. 3-4 servings. Instant Pot Penne Ingredients 8 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese (optional) 8 oz. Italian blend cheese 8 oz. penne pasta 1 jar Marinara sauce 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean sage sausage or 1 pkg. Jimmy Dean regular sausage and ½ tsp sage ¼ c bacon crumbles or 4 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled Instructions: Turn Instant Pot on to sauté mode. When hot, add the Jimmy Dean sausage and cook until browned. Turn Instant Pot off. Add the bacon and stir. Add the marinara sauce, 1 cup of water, and the penne pasta. Select manual and cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese by spoonsful, if using, and the Italian cheese blend and put the lid back on. Let it set for 5 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and salad.