Cheesy Penne Pasta Bake
The ultimate comfort food, this simple yet delicious recipe combines gooey cheese, hearty ground beef and perfectly cooked pasta for a satisfying meal. With minimal prep time, this dish is a great choice for busy weeknights.
Servings: 8
Calories: 358kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta cooked just under al dente (pasta will finish cooking in oven), drained
- 24 ounces garlic flavored spaghetti sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking to just under al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the ground beef, onion, salt and pepper to a large skillet, and cook until browned. Drain off the grease and discard.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to drained ground beef and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add cooked & drained pasta to ground beef mixture and stir gently to combine.
- Transfer pasta to a greased casserole dish and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.
- If you don't have garlic flavored spaghetti sauce, add a couple cloves of minced garlic to regular sauce.
- Recipe can be easily doubled or tripled for larger groups.
- Turn this into an easy 30-minute meal by using pre-cooked bulk ground beef.
- Store leftover pasta casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply microwave or bake it in the oven until heated through.
- This recipe can be made up to a day ahead of time. Follow the steps up to the baking point, then cover the dish and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make it. When you're ready to make the dish, remove it from the frig and allow it to hang out on the counter at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake as directed. You may need to increase the baking time a bit to achieve gooey, slightly browned cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 766mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 2mg