Description
This hearty Pasta Bake features tender tubular pasta coated in a flavorful meat marinara sauce, layered with creamy ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses, then baked to bubbly, golden perfection. It’s a comforting, crowd-pleasing casserole perfect for family dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Cheese Mixture
- 1 lb. pasta (ziti, penne, or rigatoni)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, divided
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 pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 (24 oz.) jars marinara sauce (recommended: Rao's or homemade)
Garnish
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking.
- Prepare Cheese Mixture: In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, whisked egg, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir until evenly mixed, then set aside.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente time. Drain carefully, ensuring pasta is firm and not mushy.
- Cook Meat Sauce: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef with diced onions until beef is browned and onions are softened. Drain excess grease. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning; cook for 1 minute to release flavors.
- Add Marinara Sauce: Pour in marinara sauce and stir to combine. Simmer briefly until heated through, then remove from heat.
- Assemble Pasta Bake: In a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, mix the drained pasta with about ¾ of the meat sauce. Spread this mixture evenly. Dollop the ricotta cheese mixture over the top, then spoon the remaining meat sauce over it.
- First Bake: Cover the dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes to meld flavors and heat through.
- Add Topping and Finish Baking: Remove the cover, sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese evenly on top. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve hot, ideally alongside garlic bread with cheese.
Notes
- This recipe uses a generous amount of sauce to keep pasta moist during baking; however, you may reduce it if you prefer a drier casserole.
- Choose tubular pastas like ziti, penne, or rigatoni; ridged varieties cling better to the sauce.
- Mix ground meats such as pork, veal, sausage, or beef according to your preference for richer flavor.
- For best results and creamier texture, grate fresh mozzarella and Parmesan from blocks instead of using pre-shredded cheese.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare meat sauce and pasta as described, assemble, 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 to 15 minutes.
- You can freeze the assembled casserole; thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
