Sausage Spaghetti Spirals

President's Day weekend. No school Monday, which means four kids and a plan and the plan is: nothing. Nebraska in February offers nothing except cold and sky and the particular beauty of a winter landscape that most people find depressing and I find honest. The fields are brown and bare and the trees are stripped to their bones and everything is exactly what it is, without pretense, without leaves. I respect February. It does not lie.

I drove a short haul to Hastings and back Tuesday. On the way I stopped at Gayle's. She was making coffee when I arrived at seven, which is new — she has not made her own coffee in weeks, relying on instant or on me bringing it. The coffee maker was running and the kitchen smelled like Folgers and I said Mom, you are making coffee, and she said I am not dead yet, Brenda, and I said no, you are not, and the sharpness in her voice was the best sound I have heard in months because sharp means alive and alive is everything.

I brought her groceries. She did not ask for them. I bought what she buys — canned soup, white bread, lunch meat, bananas, milk, eggs, the Folgers. I put them away while she watched and said I can do that myself. I said I know. She said then let me. I said no. She said you are the most stubborn woman in Nebraska. I said I learned it from you. She almost smiled. Almost. In Gayle's emotional range, almost-smiling is equivalent to a standing ovation.

I made a big batch of hamburger casserole for the family this week — ground beef, egg noodles, tomato sauce, cheese, all layered in a 9x13. It is the kind of meal that fills the house with the smell of baking cheese and feeds six people for less than twelve dollars, and the leftovers reheat perfectly, which is the highest compliment I can give any recipe. The truck driver's standard: does it reheat? If yes, it is worthy.

The casserole I made this week was my version of this one — ground meat, spiral pasta, tomato sauce, and a lid of melted cheese that browns at the edges in a way that makes everyone come to the kitchen before you even call them. When your mother looks at you sharp-eyed and says I am not dead yet, Brenda, you go home and you cook something big and warm and real, something that fills the house with a smell that means people are here and fed and accounted for. This is that recipe.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb ground pork sausage (or substitute ground beef)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
12 oz rotini or spiral pasta, cooked and drained
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside.
Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Build the sauce. Add diced onion to the skillet with the sausage and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer on low for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine pasta and sauce. Remove skillet from heat. Add the cooked spiral pasta directly into the sauce and stir until fully coated. Fold in 3/4 cup of the mozzarella and all of the Parmesan.
Fill the baking dish. Transfer the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella.
Bake uncovered. Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted, bubbly, and golden at the edges. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sausage Spaghetti Spirals — The Casserole That Fills the House