Two Timin’ Pasta

 This Two Timin’ Pasta makes a quick & easy dinner the whole family will love. A yummy sausage stuffed pasta & sauce casserole, it serves as an easy dish for my week night menu. It gets bonus points because I don’t have to choose between sauces- it includes both marinara & alfredo. And who doesn’t want to add a lil somethin’ saucy into their weekly meal plan?!

I love my boys, I sure do, but boy sometimes do they test my patience. Seriously.

Every time, literally every time, I am on Facebook, Twitter– you name it– they’re all up in my messages and who I’m talking to.

Seriously! Nosey little buggers, lol.

They’re so worried about what I’m doing.

On the one hand I love them for their fierce loyalty to their Daddy.

On the other hand, are you just that nosy? Or do you really question my loyalty?

They may have had a rough start in life, but trust & believe Mama’s not going anywhere. Promise.

In honor of all that, I thought this recipe for Two Timin’ Pasta would be appropriate.

They smirked at the name (and the inspiration), but they gobbled up the results!

What’s The Name Really Mean- Why Call It Two Timin Pasta?

On top of the fun family reference, the two timin’ name actually refers to the recipe itself.

Most traditional saucy pasta dishes stick with a signature sauce, typically white or red. With this saucy casserole, we opted top up the flavor factor and use both. It turns out combining the two was actually a stroke of genius.

So it’s two timin’ since we’re essentially cheatin’ on our sauces- but the red tomato based sauce & the creamy alfredo combine to create a truly delectable blush sauce.

Blush sauces are actually really common, but they don’t seem to be as popular these days as they once were. One taste though, and you’ll be sold on bringing it back!

Two timin’ pasta is a super simple recipe to whip up, (as promised!) making it perfect for busy parents & busy schedules.

It also only uses a handful of ingredients- six to be exact, making it budget friendly too!

That means it’s already a huge win in my family recipe book, but the fact that it’s delicious too? It checks all the boxes and then some for me, and for so many other families I know.

Making A Baked Sausage & Marinara Alfredo Pasta- The Sauciest Of Pasta Casseroles

Like everything else with this recipe, throwing it together is easy and requires minimal planning. I’m looking at you (myself) and every other busy cook who forgets to swing by the grocery store or pull things out ahead of time.

To make this dish start with the basic elements- the meat and the pasta.

Saute your pound of sausage in a non stick skillet, stirring & breaking it up as it cooks. Once it’s cooked through and slightly crispy, drain it of any excess grease and then set the cooked meat aside.

The same goes for the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, according to the package instructions. 

Once the pasta’s cooked, transfer it to a strainer to drain it of all water. Let cold water run over the pasta, gently stirring to cool it all completely.

Do not skip this step. It keeps the pasta from continuing to cook, which could turn it mushy, and also prevents it from sticking or clumping together. Once completely cooled, set it aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, add both the tomato based marinara sauce & the creamy white alfredo sauce. Whisk them together to evenly combined. Again, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl toss the cooked sausage, shredded mozzarella cheese, and the cooled pasta until evenly combined.

Be sure to stir so everything’s evenly coated. No pasta left behind here folks! Plus you want the meat evenly mixed in so there’s a bit in every bite.

Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish, and use a spatula to spread it out evenly. Bake the two timin’ pasta casserole at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle the shredded Parmesan evenly out over top, and return it to the oven for another five minutes. Remove, let it rest for a minute or two (just long enough to allow the cheese to set), and scoop & serve.

TIPS & TRICKS For Making This Saucy Pasta Casserole Your Own

• The Meat: We feel that this is the perfect ratio for getting a bit of sausage in every bite, however if you like things meatier- you can easily double the sausage called for in the recipe.
• Substitutions: Don’t like ground sausage? Ground beef works too. So does ground turkey! You could even sub chopped rotisserie chicken. You can also skip the meat entirely and make it a vegetarian meal instead.
• The Sauce: Don’t like using store bought jarred sauces? Use homemade versions instead, especially this homemade marinara sauce.
• The Pasta: We’ve all been there, you don’t have that particular pasta on hand. No worries! We’ve used bow tie (farfalle), penne, ziti, and even elbow noodles with equal success.

If you need an extra cheesy dish, toss the Parmesan with an extra 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella before sprinkling it out over the casserole. It will give you that amazing cheese pull that true cheese lovers’ crave in all things.

You really can’t go wrong with this cheesy, saucy two timin’ pasta casserole. It checks all the boxes, and it’s a family favorite that was made to please everyone- the pickiest of eaters included!

Other Saucy Pasta Dishes You Might Also Enjoy

• Chicken Bacon Caesar Pasta
• 6 Ingredient Tuscan Chicken
• Italian Alfredo Tortellini

If you’ve tried this TWO TIMIN’ PASTA, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!