Whenever I buy n’duja for something, I always end up with leftovers sitting in my fridge, so I decided to create the perfect dish to use those leftovers up – a pasta bake! Seriously, is there anything more comforting than an oozy, cheesy pasta bake? Oh and the satisfying crunch of the pasta round the edges? Heaven! I get my n’duja from Celino’s, but you can get it online as well. If you can’t find it, a spicy chorizo would work in its place. Let me know if you decide to make it – be sure to tag me in your photos @theglasgowdiet on Instagram!

Spicy Sausage Pasta Bake

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
30g n’duja (or 50g spicy chorizo)
8 chicken sausages (I used Heck Chicken Italia)
2 peppers, thinly sliced
500g tomato passata
75g mascarpone
1 tbsp chilli flakes
Handful of fresh basil, roughly torn
300g rigatoni (or whatever short pasta you have)
1 ball mozzarella, torn
Parmesan, grated

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180c (fan) and put a large pan of salted water on to boil. In a large, non-stick pan, heat the oil then add the onion and cook for five minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes, then add the n’duja and cook until it begins to break down and release its oils.
2. Add the sausages, I like the heck ones because you don’t need to take the skins off and they break up really easily. Mash them with your spoon and cook for five minutes, then add your peppers, passata, chilli flakes, mascarpone and some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes.
3. While it simmers, add your chosen pasta to the boiling salted water and cook for 2-3 minutes less than packet instructions. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, stirring to ensure everything is evenly mixed. Add the fresh basil, then tip the whole lot into a large baking dish. Top with the torn mozzarella and some grated parmesan and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling.