This casserole is so pleased to be here; you could even say it’s jazzed! Okay, okay, we kid, but it is true. This Jazzed Spaghetti Bake is like a bright smile on a plate, matching the one you’ll have after your first taste! It has tender spaghetti and flavorful zucchini noodles mixed together in a rich tomato sauce, with plenty of turkey sausage to add a drum solo to this beautiful musical arrangement. Bright, sweet peppers, beefy mushrooms, and creamy mozzarella add a delightful trumpet blast of good feeling to each twirled fork-full! You’ll definitely be jazzed to be eating this Jazzed Spaghetti Bake!
Ingredients
- 4-6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 ounces dry spaghetti
- 2 cups tomato pasta sauce
- 1 cup sweet peppers, roasted and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 12 ounces zucchini, spiralized
- fresh basil leaves, optional, to taste, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Heat 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Step 3 –Add the sausage and cook until it is no longer pink, but not quite cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Step 4 –Transfer the sausage to a plate.
Step 5 –Add another 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pan over medium-high heat.
Step 6 –Add the onions, the mushrooms, the garlic, the Italian seasoning, the salt, and the pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender and there is no moisture left in the pan, about 8-10 minutes.
Step 7 –Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to the package directions.
Step 8 –Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and then drain the spaghetti.
Step 9 –Add the sausage, the pasta sauce, and the roasted peppers to the onion mixture, stirring to incorporate.
Step 10 –Add the reserved pasta water and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese to the sauce mixture, stirring to combine.
Step 11 –Combine the spaghetti and the zucchini noodles in a 9×9-inch baking dish, spoon the sauce mixture over the noodles, and toss to combine.
Step 12 –Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the remaining cheese and bake uncovered until melted, about 10 minutes.
Step 14 –Garnish with the basil leaves.
Step 15 –Serve.
