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Baked Penne Pasta
Freezer-friendly Baked Penne Pasta is an easy, kid-friendly dinner idea. Great for large groups too.
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Prep: 50 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 1 hour 20 minutes
Units:
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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.
Find it online: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/baked-penne-pasta-freezer-friendly/
