Baked Penne Pasta
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Baked Penne Pasta is a delicious and hearty Italian-American pasta dish that features penne pasta mixed with a rich and savory tomato-based sauce, layered with a cheese mixture, and then baked until it’s hot and bubbly.
This post is created in partnership with Hy-Vee Columbia.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
Baked pastas like our Spinach Lasagna Rolls, Healthy Mac & Cheese, and Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta are commonly reader favorites. Probably because they usually have these qualities:
- Delicious dinner recipe that all ages enjoy
- Freezer friendly
- Feeds a large group of people
- Easy to make
“I made a 9×9 for supper and froze a 9×13 for later. It was a hit with my husband. We also had to negotiate who got to eat the leftovers!” – Mags ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need. You’ll find all these ingredients at your local Hy-Vee (Columbia):
Ingredient Notes:
- Canned tomato sauce – Adds moisture and depth of flavor to the recipe. You can swap it for marinara if you don’t have any.
- Whole Tomatoes – These add some texture and flavor. Use a wooden spoon to break them up as they cook.
- Fresh minced parsley or basil – Not pictured but recommended to add into the cheese mixture and on top before serving.
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Variations & Substitutions
- Use diced tomatoes in place of the whole tomatoes.
- Use marinara sauce in place of tomato sauce.
- Add veggies! I love to toss in raw spinach, sautéed mushrooms, cooked zucchini, or sautéed bell peppers.
- You don’t have to use penne pasta. You can substitute with another similar short pasta shape like rotini.
How to Make Baked Penne Pasta
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
Make the Meat Sauce
After sautéing some diced onion and garlic, you will brown your ground beef and Italian sausage. Season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.
After the meat is browned, drain off some fat and add in the whole tomatoes and tomato sauce.
Let it simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, partially covered (to prevent splattering). Break up the whole tomatoes with a spoon or spatula once they soften. Set aside to cool.
Cook the Pasta
After you get that sauce a-simmerin’, start multitasking.
Start to boil your pasta in salted water. Follow the instructions on your box for cooking it al dente.
Once it’s cooked, drain and set aside to cool. I like to toss mine with a little bit of oil to prevent sticking.
Make the Creamy Filling
While pasta is boiling you can whip together your creamy cheese filling.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients for the filling: ricotta, egg, part of the mozzarella, Parmesan, salt and some fresh minced herbs. Give it a good stir.
Mix the Pasta with the Creamy Filling
Add the cooked and drained pasta into the large bowl with the cheese mixture.
After the pasta and cheese mixture is combined, add in 2 1/2 cups cooled pasta sauce.
Once you’ve mixed that together, you have a delicious, gooey mess.
Assemble the Casserole & Bake
Pour the pasta into a baking dish. Now top it off with remaining pasta sauce.
Now finish it off with a layer of mozzarella. You know what comes next… bake it!
What to Serve with Baked Penne Pasta
This recipe plays nice with others. Here are some side dish ideas:
How to Freeze Baked Penne Pasta
You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for make-ahead freezer meals.
Not only have we written two freezer meal cookbooks, but we also have some amazing 1 Hour Freezer Prep Plans that walk you through how to make 6 meals in one hour.
Freeze For Later: Follow the recipe right up until baking it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, foil or a lid. Freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: When ready to cook, you have two options:
- Thawed: Thaw in the fridge (may take up to 48 hours) or thaw in the microwave on defrost setting. Bake at 375 degrees F according to Step 11 in the recipe.
- Frozen: If cooking directly from frozen state, cover with foil. Place the frozen casserole in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Once it comes to temperature, bake for about 1 hour and 20-40 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Remove the foil the last 20 minutes.
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FAQs
Yes, this recipe works well to prepare all the way up until baking. You can refrigerate it for a day or two before baking or freeze it.
Yes! You can make this substitution without any problems. Just be sure to keep the amounts the same.
The egg will add some lightness and lift to the cheese mixture, but you should be totally fine without it.
Yes, this recipe will work fine without the ground beef. Follow our Easy Cheesy Baked Pasta recipe instead.
Tomato sauce is sold in cans and is thinner and has fewer ingredients than marinara/spaghetti sauce. However, marinara would be a great substitute.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Baked Penne Pasta
Freezer-friendly Baked Penne Pasta is an easy, kid-friendly dinner idea. Great for large groups too.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed in hand
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, with juice (NOT no salt)
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can tomato sauce (NOT no salt)
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) whole wheat penne pasta (sub: regular penne or gluten-free pasta)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 cups (3/4 pounds) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Optional: 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley or basil, plus more for serving
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Saute Aromatics: Heat oil in a large pot or large deep skillet over medium-high heat until it’s shimmery. Add diced onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until starting to soften. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Brown Meat: Add ground beef and Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks, about 5-7 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning while it cooks. If needed, drain off the fat (tip: dump into a colander that’s over a bowl) and return to the pot.
- Cook Sauce: Stir in whole tomatoes and tomato sauce to the meat mixture. Partially cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the tomatoes with the spoon once they soften. When done, set aside to cool.
- Cook Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water and according to package directions, just until al dente. Drain, toss with a little oil (to prevent sticking), and set aside to cool.
- Make Cheese/Pasta Mixture: In a large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and fresh parsley or basil (optional) until combined. Add in the cooled pasta and just 2 1/2 cups of cooled meat sauce (reserve the rest!). Stir to combine.
- Prep Oven & Pan: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Prep the Casserole: Dump the pasta mixture into the casserole dish. Spread it out evenly. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top evenly. Then, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese evenly. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Bake and Serve: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling on the sides and very hot in the middle. If you’d like it to brown a little more on top, turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes (watch it closely!). Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh chopped herbs on top and more Parmesan cheese and warm marinara sauce on the side, if desired.
Freeze For Later: Follow the recipe through Step 7. Cover tightly with a few layers of plastic wrap or foil or an air-tight lid. Label and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge overnight or thaw in the microwave on defrost setting. Follow step 8.
Notes/Tips
- We updated this recipe on 10/17/24. We tweaked the ingredients just a little to add more flavor (replaced half the ground beef with Italian sausage and added in fresh herbs) and cut the recipe in half so it is more manageable. It bakes all in one 9×13 inch dish now and serves 6 people. (Tip: This is an easy one to double and make a second one for the freezer.)
- Shortcut: Replace the canned whole tomatoes and canned tomato sauce in Step 3 with 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce to save time. No need to simmer it.
- The casserole will suck up the sauce the longer it sits, so you may want to serve it with some extra warm marinara sauce on the side.
- You can use diced tomatoes in place of the whole tomatoes.
- You can use marinara sauce in place of tomato sauce.
- Add veggies! I love to toss in raw chopped spinach or sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, and/or zucchini.
- You don’t have to use penne pasta. You can substitute with another similar-sized pasta shape, such as rotini.
Perfect for college students or someone who really does not know how to cook
Totally!
Hi 🙂 I want to gift this to a family friend who just lost his wife. He lives alone, so I would probably give him half of the recipe in a smaller container. Do you know if this would change the baking time or temp? Ty!
Hi Emily, that is so sad but I’m thankful you are there. Food speaks a thousand words. I don’t think you will need to change the temp or the time on this one. Just watch it and make sure it’s bubbly on the sides and warmed all the way through. Since everything is already pre-cooked in it, you’re just wanting it to get nice and hot.
Made this for my mom’s birthday and she loved it! Very delicious <3
Awesome, thanks for the feedback, Marissa. 🙂
What is the calorie count per serving?
I’m sorry. We don’t provide that information at this time.
I’m looking to make this for my daughters high school basketball team. Could this be made in a crock pot? And if so, Would you cook the noodles as indicated in the recipe? How long in the crock pot? Thanks
I don’t think this would be a great crock pot recipe. Check out our meals for large groups for ideas that might be a better fit: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/20-meals-that-feed-large-groups/
I’m excited to make this recipe! Due to schedule issues, I’d like to make it a couple days ahead of time. Would it be safe to stay in the fridge for 2-3 days prior to baking or would you recommend freezing and thawing?
Thank you!
PS – I’m so happy to have found your website. Thank you for what you two are doing. It is so helpful and encouraging to have women like you who are honoring God and sharing your gifts with others!
Yes, 2-3 days in the fridge should be just fine. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement, Laura. Makes our day!
I prepared this dish on a Thurs afternoon, refrigerated til Saturday when I baked it for a party. It turned out great! I had some leftover and froze in containers with two servings. Defrosted in refrig and reheated beautifully. Delish recipe. 🙂
Wonderful to hear that, Cathy!
This was a great recipe! I made it with my mom and our whole family enjoyed it. Also, it made a lot so we could save some for the next night.
Rachel and Polly: I love what you do! I think that it is so great that you do what you love and what you are good at while honoring God. Keep it up!
Wow, thank you for the nice comment, Mika. Our goal is to share all of this–recipes, parenting articles, reviews, etc–to truly help others and glorify God. Makes me happy to know it’s helping you. 🙂
Hi! Is there a way to substitute meatballs for the ground beef?
Can you make this without ricotta? My kids are not big fans. If so do you suggest replacing it with mozzarella?
I have never tried it without ricotta. Cottage cheese is any easy replacement, but I’m guessing they might turn their noses up at that too. 🙂 I’m sure it can’t hurt to add mozzarella in place of the ricotta. It’s definitely worth a shot.
When you use a glass container with lid, as pictured, do you still need to wrap the food in plastic before freezing?
If the lid is pretty air tight, you should be fine. The main thing to remember with frozen food is that air is your enemy.
Is it 1.5 POUNDS of cheese or 1.5 cups of cheese?
The recipe is correct! Very cheesy!
This was easy as pie and SO DELICIOUS. It took a little time, but wasn’t complicated, and for my small family it made three meals! I feel so productive!! Love love love this.
We LOVE this! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and let us know. So glad you enjoyed it.
So to be clear 1-1/2 equals 1.5 pounds of cheese.
Thanks
Hi Dave. Yes, 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) of cheese is correct!
Could this be made a couple days ahead of time, but not frozen? Would the noodles get too mushy if it was refrigerated for 2 days, or so?
Oh yes, that would be fine!
Can I cook this and then freeze it? I’m supposed to bake and a freeze a meal to have ready to go when called on and am trying to find a good recipe.
This would be better unbaked and then frozen. Some pre-cooked options that might work instead: On-the-Go Chicken Burritos, Make Ahead Breakfast Sandwiches, Slow Cooker Pot Roast, or any of our soups (my personal favorite is the Tomato Bisque). Hope that helps!
Can you please tell me how many servings this makes? Thank you!
Do you have any nutritional values to your recipes? I’m with Suzanne, what are the instructions for cooking after its been frozen? You give a time, but no temps.
Hi Nancy. At this time we don’t provide the exact nutritional information for our recipes. I think there are tools out there to gather this but at the time, we just provide the ingredients and directions. Sorry! I’ve also updated the recipe to clarify freezer cooking instructions. Thanks!
What are the instructions for
Cooking after its been frozen??