Description
A comforting baked pasta dish made with tender mostaccioli, savory meat sauce, and layers of creamy ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, baked to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound mostaccioli or penne pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet, sauté onion until soft, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add ground beef, cook until browned, then stir in marinara, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–7 minutes.
- Combine pasta with meat sauce in a large bowl.
- Layer half the pasta mixture in the baking dish. Add dollops of ricotta and sprinkle with half the mozzarella.
- Repeat with remaining pasta, top with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use a mix of ground beef and sausage for richer flavor.
- Add chopped spinach or mushrooms for a veggie boost.
- Use freshly shredded cheese for best melt and taste.
- Freezes well—bake and cool before wrapping tightly.