Easy Cheesy Weeknight Pasta Bake
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
40 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Easy Cheesy Weeknight Pasta Bake
Description
The recipe starts with boiling penne pasta to al dente, then cooking ground beef and onions with seasoning. A tomato sauce is prepared from crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and herbs like basil, oregano, garlic powder, and brown sugar for mild sweetness. The cooked pasta is combined with the sauce before being layered with ricotta, Parmesan, and shredded mozzarella in a baking dish.
Baking at 375°F melts the cheeses into a creamy topping while the tomato sauce thickens around the pasta and beef mixture. The result is a comforting casserole with tender pasta, juicy meat, and a cheesy, browned crust that offers richness and texture contrast.
Substitutions include using other tube-shaped pastas or marinara sauce instead of crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Ricotta can be swapped with blended cottage cheese for a smoother texture. The dish reheats well and can be made a day in advance or frozen with adjusted baking times for convenience.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- ½ cup onion chopped onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 28-ounce ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 8-ounce ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch black pepper
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the ground beef, onion, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, in a skillet set over medium heat, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Off the heat, drain the grease.
- Return the pot to medium heat and add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the cooked and drained noodles and stir to coat evenly with the sauce (if the skillet is too small, combine the noodles in sauce in the now-empty pasta pot).
- In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- To assemble, spread half of the noodles in the bottom of the prepared pan. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the top and spread into a mostly even layer. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Layer the remaining noodles over the top followed by the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
- Place the pasta bake on a foil-lined half sheet pan to catch any spillovers and bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbling and heated through. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Substitute any tube-shaped pasta for penne if preferred.
- You can replace crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce with a 32-ounce jar of marinara sauce for convenience.
- For ricotta substitutes, blend cottage cheese for a creamier texture without graininess.
- This pasta bake can be assembled ahead and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking; add extra baking time when baking cold.
- Freeze assembled pasta bake covered with greased foil; bake from frozen at 350°F for 90 minutes covered, then uncover and bake 30–45 minutes more until bubbling.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 serving | |
| Calories | 509kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 58g | 19% |
| Protein | 39g | 78% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 76mg | 25% |
| Sodium | 1375mg | 57% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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