Baked Penne with Italian Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes (or equivalent).

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente (according to the al dente instructions listed on the package); drain pasta, and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Brown Italian sausage until cooked all the way through. Remove from heat to cool.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Once melted add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, add in the freshly grated nutmeg, whisking frequently until thickened. Add mushrooms, sausage and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Add pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with the remaining cup Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

For Freezing: Prepare to the point where you sprinkle the top with Parmesan and then let pasta cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating Frozen Pasta: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.