What is not to love about this Ground Beef Pasta Bake? You use your favorite pasta. It's a delicious and hearty meal. Trust me, your will family asking for seconds and you'll love it because it takes only minutes of prep!
It's made with pasta, ground beef, tomato sauce, and plenty of cheese. it's the perfect comfort food for any night of the week.
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Ground beef pasta bake
I don't know about you, but I think that pasta dishes should be their own food group. And this lazy pasta bake is the best combination of pasta: a delcious red sauce and cheesy goodness! What more could you want in a pasta recipe?!!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that, though it takes a minute of extra prep time, you can do that in the morning. That way, when you get home on a busy weeknight, you can preheat the oven and pop it in. Volia dinner is done!
Ingredients/variations
Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for the exact measurements.
- Medium pasta - I love bow tie pasta for this recipe, but you can also use shells, rotini and penne noodles as well. They will work just fine.
- Lean ground beef - I've also made this with Italian sausage, ground turkey, or chicken as well.
- White or yellow onions work best in the casserole. However, you can use 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead if you're in a pinch.
- Fresh garlic will give you the best flavor, jarred minced garlic can be used instead.
- Spaghetti sauce - I like to use my favorite jarred kind to save on work, but homemade marinara will taste amazing in this casserole also.
- fire-roasted tomatoes - If you can't find a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, regular diced tomatoes can be used.
- jarred mushrooms - Fresh sliced mushrooms can be used, but I suggest that you cook them first until they are almost tender.
- provolone cheese and mozzarella cheese - I've used other types of cheese as well, cheddar, parmesan, and even all mozzarella will work just fine.
Ground Beef Pasta Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 14 ½ ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
- 4 ounce jar mushrooms drained
- 1 cup pasta water
- 6 slices provolone cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
- Boil pasta. Season pasta water with a tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta to al dente; drain well. Save 1 cup of pasta water.
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat, brown the onion and ground beef. Drain grease if desired. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the marinara, fire-roasted tomatoes and canned mushrooms to the meat. Stir well to combine.
- Next mix the pasta into the saucy meat mixture. Mix well. If your dish needs more sauce (because you want it to be good and saucy), start with ¼ cup of pasta water. Add more if needed.
- Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared casserole. Top with sliced provolone and sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the pasta is hot and bubbly.
- If desired, place the casserole under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top of the dish - yum!
Notes
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This cheesy pasta bake can be frozen for later! Just wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap and the aluminum foil to keep it fresh. Store it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking as directed. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave on 50% power for 2-3 minutes. Or, you can reheat the entire casserole in a 350 degree over for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Enjoy!Love this recipe? Join the free membership group!
Nutrition
Instructions
This is a photo overview of the instructions, refer to the recipe card for the step-by-steps.
FAQ's
Make sure it's well-sauced before baking, and cover it with foil for the first part of baking to lock in moisture. Remove the foil at the end to let the cheese get golden and bubbly.
If you accidentally drained all of the pasta water, use chicken broth instead.
Top Tip
Since you are putting this pasta bake in the oven, I recommend that you cook your pasta just to al dente because it will continue to cook in the oven. No one wants mushy pasta!
- Garlic can burn quickly, so don't leave it on the stove for long. As soon as you smell the garlic, it's time to add the other ingredients.
Related recipes
I love all pasta casseroles everything from simple classics like this Lazy Lasagna Casserole to fun and creative twists like this Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Bake or this Philly Cheesesteak Pasta. These are all so delicious that you won't regret adding them to your meal plan.
Serve with
If you ask me, you can't have pasta with a side dish like Air Fryer Garlic Bread. I also love to pair a hearty casserole like this with a simple green side dish like this Outback Wedge Salad and a sweet treat such as this Butterscotch Pudding Dessert.
If you are like me and love enjoying a comforting plate full of pasta for your meal, I would love for you to leave me a comment and tell me what your favorite pasta casserole to make it.
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