Cheesy red cabbage, beet and sausage pasta bake

By Jason Skrobar

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Ingredients

3 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
2-1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
3 cups grated gruyere, divided
1 cup parmesan, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
5 bratwurst sausages, cut into bite sized pieces
1 red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 medium red cabbage, thinly sliced
2-3 red beets, roasted (or boiled), peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 package rigatoni or any tubular pasta

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375°
To make this cheesy and hearty pasta bake, start by boiling the pasta. To a large pot of heavily salted water, boil pasta according to the package directions to al dente. Drain, return to pot and set aside.
While you wait for the pasta water to boil you can make the cheese sauce. To a medium size pot over medium heat, add butter and flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until butter is melted and flour has combined to make a paste. Slowly whisk in milk and continue to whisk until sauce has thickened, about four to five minutes. Once thickened, add half of the gruyere, all the parmesan, salt and pepper and continue to whisk until fully melted and sauce is smooth and thick. Set aside.
To a large skillet over medium high heat, add oil. Heat the oil for a few minutes and then add the sausages. Allow the sausages to begin to brown and then add the onions and garlic. Cook sausages, onions and garlic for an additional seven to eight minutes or until sausages are fully cooked. Remove the sausage mixture to a paper towel lined plate.
Turn the heat up to high and add white wine. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the bits leftover from the sausage. Turn the heat down a bit and add cabbage, beets, chili flakes and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally for about six to seven minutes, or until cabbage has wilted.
Time to assemble! To the pot with the cooked pasta and cheese sauce, sausage mixture, cabbage and beets. Mix well and pour into an 9” x 13” casserole dish. Top with remaining gruyere.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the broiler on for the last five minutes.
Serve and enjoy!