Is pasta considered a comfort food? If it’s not, I think it definitely should be! Pasta is so warm, comforting, and incredibly versatile. There’s so many different kinds of pasta, so many sauces to dress it with, endless combinations of things you can add to your pasta dish. You can have pasta as a full meal or part of a meal, lightly dressed or dripped in sauce, adorned with pieces of perfectly tender meat or meatless. Even something as simple as some angel hair tossed in olive oil with garlic, parsley, and parmesan is so delightful, and simple. Today, I must share with you one of my favorite recipes. It’s so, so easy, it’s delicious, it’s simple. It’s a crowd pleaser and doesn’t take hours in the kitchen. Let’s dive right in to this amazing cheesy baked penne!
*NOTE* This can be made ahead of time by assembling everything and waiting to bake it until you are ready. Just store the assembled dish covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
Ingredients:
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Olive oil for browning meat, about 1 tbsp
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4 cups dry penne pasta or one 16-oz box
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1 pound ground beef
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1/2 tsp pepper
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1/2 tsp salt
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3/4 tsp garlic powder
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2 tsp dried minced onion
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1/2 tsp ground oregano
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1/4 tsp ground basil
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2 cups of your favorite red pasta sauce or one 15-oz jar (I prefer vodka sauce for this recipe, but any red sauce will do!)
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4 ounces mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
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1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
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Parmesan for serving
*Makes about 8 servings*
Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and preheat oven to 375℉.
2. Add the penne to the boiling water. While the penne is boiling, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Add the ground beef and break it up. Then add half of the seasonings to the beef and continue cooking.
4. Just before the ground beef is fully browned, add the rest of the seasonings to the meat.
5. Continue cooking the meat until it is fully browned. Then drain any excess grease and return to the pan.
6. When the pasta is just about al dente, drain the water and return to the pot. Then add about 1/3 of the sauce to the pasta.
7. Put the 4 ounces of chunked mozzarella into the pot with the penne and sauce. Stir until well combined and the noodles are well coated. Set aside.
8. Pour the rest of the pasta sauce into the cooked and drained meat. Mix well.
9. In a large baking dish, spread the pasta mixture out evenly.
10. Next, add the sauced beef onto the top of the noodles and spread evenly.
11. Lastly, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the whole dish.
12. Place in oven on middle rack and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
13. When the cheese is golden brown, remove from the oven and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving, and that’s it!
Serve with some veggies ( like my easy roasted asparagus https://www.cattailsandcookies.com/post/easy-roasted-asparagus ) and some crispy garlic bread and you have yourself an easy peasy dinner for the whole family!
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