In this column we share the cuisine and recipes of Italy and our Italian American communities. Each month we feature recipes curated from our research and those shared by LGI readers. 
Food and cooking are important aspects of our cultural identity and sharing recipes is one way for us to connect to our roots and to one another! 
We invite you to share your family recipes and the stories behind them with us! Please email your favorite recipes and photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before December 10. For more recipes like this, subscribe  to La Gazzetta Italiana.

Buon appetito!

Four Cheese Pasta Bake with Sausage
dalla cucina di www.italianfoodforever.com

This is a recipe that I have made for years, often to use up leftover cheese and pasta. It is a great dish to use up those small amounts of dried pasta leftovers sitting in your pantry, or leftover chunks of cheese in the refrigerator. You know the bags or boxes of pasta that are not enough pasta to create a complete meal for the family, but you hate to throw them out? Save them up in a ziploc bag to make this pasta.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Dried Pasta
3 T. Unsalted Butter
3 T. All-purpose Flour
3 C. Whole Milk
3 to 4 C. Mixed, Grated or Shredded Cheese
Salt & Pepper
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausages, meat removed from casings
Crumb Topping:
1 C. Panko Breacrumbs
2 tsp. Finely Chopped Parsley
Salt & Pepper
2 tsp. Olive Oil

Directions: 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While the water is heating, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour until smooth. Cook the flour mixture a minute or two, then slowly whisk in the milk. Season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook over medium low heat, whisking often, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cheese, and continue to cook over low heat until the cheese has melted, and the sauce is smooth. In a frying pan, cook the sausage over medium heat until cooked through,and lightly browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain, and set aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish (or individual casserole dishes). Cook the pasta for half the recommended cooking time, then drain and return to the pot. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta, and stir to mix well. Stir in the sausage. Pour the pasta mixture into your prepared pans. In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients with your fingertips until blended, then sprinkle on top of the pasta.
Bake about 20 minutes, or until the pasta is bubbly and golden brown.