Pasta Bake Recipes

This Pasta Bake recipe is an easy make-ahead meal that can be made with ziti, rigatoni, or penne. It’s filled with a meaty marinara sauce and topped with a cheesy ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Nothing beats a cheesy, meaty pasta bake recipe. This is my go-to recipe for feeding a crowd because it’s easy to make ahead of time, there are a variety of pasta choices, and it always leaves people feeling satisfied.

The pasta is smothered in plenty of meaty marinara sauce and topped with a cheesy ricotta mixture along with mozzarella cheese. Every bite is filled with flavor. Let’s get into everything you need to know!

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Pasta Bake Recipe

This Pasta Bake recipe is an easy make-ahead meal that can be made with ziti, rigatoni, or penne. It’s tossed in a meaty marinara sauce and topped with a cheesy ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Prep: 15min

Total: 60min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 523 kcal, Carbohydrate 53 g, Protein 36 g, Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 10 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 149 mg, Sodium 1391 mg, Fiber 5 g, Sugar 9 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 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 (separated)
• 1 lb. ground beef (see notes)
• 1 small yellow onion (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon EACH: Salt/Pepper
• 1 teaspoon EACH: Onion powder + Italian Seasoning
• 2 (24 oz.) jars marinara sauce
• Fresh Parsley (to garnish)

Instruction:

1. Note: This recipe uses a lot of sauce, but the pasta absorbs a lot of it when it bakes. We don’t want dry pasta.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Combine the Ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and 1 cup (not all) mozzarella cheese and set aside.
4. Begin boiling the pasta water while you cook the meat for the sauce. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than al dente, then drain. (Be sure to time it exactly so that you don’t end up with mushy pasta.)
5. Cook and crumble the ground beef and diced onions over medium-high heat. Drain grease. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the marinara sauce. Stir to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
7. Combine the drained pasta with about ¾ of the sauce mixture and transfer it to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Add dollops of the ricotta mixture over the top, then the rest of the meat sauce.
8. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and top with remaining 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese. Increase oven temp to 400 and bake uncovered for 10-15 more minutes, until the top begins to bubble and brown.
9. Garnish with parsley and serve with garlic bread with cheese.

Rigatoni Pasta Bake

This Rigatoni Pasta Bake is a hearty and comforting casserole made up meat sauce, rigatoni pasta and cheese! Meal prep and freezer friendly.

Prep: 10min

Total: 50min

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 440 kcal, Carbohydrate 57 g, Protein 28 g, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 57 mg, Sodium 1310 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 9 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 5 cups tomato pasta sauce (roughly 2 jars)
• 500 grams Rigatoni pasta (about 1 lb)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instruction:

1. In a large saucepan, stir and cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until browned and onions have softened. Drain any juices released.
2. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute.
3. Add the pasta sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, for 5 minutes. Set aside.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add rigatoni, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook just until al dente (it will continue to cook slightly in the oven).
5. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Stir reserved pasta water into meat sauce.
6. Combine pasta and pasta sauce in saucepan. Pour into a lightly greased 9×13″ or similar baking dish.
7. Cover with a lightly greased piece of foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until heated through.
8. **Optionally, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Bake at 350 degrees F until heated through, about 30-40 minutes.
9. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese has started to brown.

Italian Pasta Bake

I love to make this pasta bake whenever I need to bring a dish to pass. Fresh tomatoes add a nice touch that’s missing from most other meat, pasta and tomato casseroles.—Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana

Prep: 40min

Total: 01h05min

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts: calories 489 calories, Fat 20g fat (8g saturated fat), Cholesterol 80mg cholesterol, Sodium 702mg sodium, Carbohydrate 45g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 5g fiber), Protein 32g protein.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 3 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
• 3 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instruction:

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add to beef mixture and gently stir in sliced plum tomatoes. , Transfer to an ungreased 13×9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Chicken Pasta Bake Recipe

FAQ

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Should pasta bake covered or uncovered?

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