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Baked penned casserole in white round bowl topped with shredded parmesan cheese.
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Baked Penne Casserole

This Baked Penne Casserole is a comforting crowd pleaser filled with layers of an easy homemade meat sauce, pasta with several cheeses and a whole lot of love! A great make ahead casserole that is also freezer friendly!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Author: Heather

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Penne Rigate, cooked to almost al dente

Meat Sauce

  • lb ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 56 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pinch red pepper flakes

Cheese Mixture

  • 15 oz Ricotta
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 cups Italian style shredded cheese, provolone, Romano, parmesan, asiago
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Grease a deep 9x13 casserole dish.
  • Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions.
  • In a large sauce pan, brown beef and onion until beef is no longer pink and onions are soft and translucent. Drain any grease if needed.
  • Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute, until garlic is fragrant.
  • Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt and red pepper flakes to the beef mix and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, mix together Ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of the Italian cheese, 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese, oregano, parsley, and black pepper.
  • Add the drained cooked pasta, a little at a time, to the cheese mix and fold it together to evenly coat all the pasta.
  • Add about 3 cups of the meat sauce to the pasta and cheese and fold together to combine well.
  • Place ⅓ of the remaining sauce (about 1 cup) in the bottom of the casserole dish.
  • Top sauce with half of the pasta mix, ½ cup Italian cheese and ½ cup Mozzarella cheese.
  • Repeat layer: sauce (about 1 cup), remaining pasta mix, ½ cup Italian shredded cheese and remaining shredded Mozzarella cheese.
  • Top with the remaining sauce and shredded Italian cheese blend.
  • Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
  • Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 708mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 601IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 303mg | Iron: 4mg
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