Description
A comforting and cheesy pasta bake featuring tender pasta tubes, a rich meat sauce, and a creamy ricotta mixture, baked to bubbly perfection and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for a hearty family meal or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb. pasta (ziti, penne, or rigatoni)
Cheese Mixture
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, separated (1 cup for mixture, 1 ½ cups for topping)
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 (24 oz.) jars marinara sauce (such as Rao's brand or homemade)
Garnish
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the pasta dish.
- Prepare cheese mixture: In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, whisked egg, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix well and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Begin boiling salted water for pasta. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than al dente according to package directions, then drain the pasta thoroughly to avoid mushiness.
- Make meat sauce: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef along with diced onions until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain excess grease.
- Add seasonings: To the browned beef and onions, add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 more minute to combine flavors.
- Add marinara sauce: Pour in marinara sauce and stir to combine. Heat through briefly and then remove from heat.
- Assemble casserole: Combine drained pasta with about ¾ of the meat sauce mixture. Transfer into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Drop dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly on top. Spoon the remaining meat sauce over the ricotta dollops, spreading evenly.
- Bake covered: Cover the baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld and pasta to fully cook.
- Add cheese topping and bake uncovered: Remove the cover and top the casserole with the remaining 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake uncovered for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm alongside garlic bread with cheese if desired.
Notes
- This recipe uses a generous amount of sauce because the pasta absorbs much of it as it bakes, preventing dryness.
- Preferred pasta shapes are tubed types like ziti, penne, or rigatoni, especially ridged versions for better sauce adherence.
- You can substitute ground beef with ground pork, veal, sausage, or a combination of ground meats as desired.
- Using freshly grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses from blocks rather than pre-shredded packaged cheese results in creamier, more flavorful texture.
- Make-ahead option: Prepare meat sauce and let cool. Boil pasta and assemble casserole. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Bake covered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, then add cheese and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
- Freezing option: Assemble casserole and freeze. Thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours before baking as directed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/8th of dish)
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
