Italian Sausage Casserole

Step 1

In a pan, heat up in butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Then remove the casings from the sausage and add the sausage to the pan. Begin mashing the sausage up with a meat masher and once it's all mashed up add in salt & cracked black pepper. Saute that on medium - medium high heat until the sausage is browned. Once the sausage is browned remove it from the pan and set it aside on a plate.

Step 2

In that same pan, add in the zucchini, eggplant, onion, garlic, salt, cracked black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Saute that for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are golden and soft (if the veggies are looking to dry add in more olive oil).

Step 3

Add in the tomato paste and brown it for 2-3 minutes. Next, stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring the pan to a boil. Add in the ripped up fresh basil, more salt & cracked black pepper, and ½ cup of grated pecorino romano. Then, add the ground sausage back into the pan. Stir everything together, lower the pan to a simmer, and let everything simmer together for about five minutes.

Step 4

Transfer that sausage veggie mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and smooth it out. Sprinkle over a ½ cup of grated pecorino romano, shredded mozzarella, and fresh parsley. Bake it in the oven at 375° for 15 minutes.