Cheesy Baked Pasta Casserole is the ultimate comfort food that’s perfect for busy weeknights, or cozy family dinners. With its hearty layers of savory ground beef, tender pasta shells, and gooey melted mozzarella cheese, this pasta dish is satisfying, flavorful, and easy to make.
The unique shape of pasta shells holds the sauce perfectly, ensuring every bite is flavorful and satisfying. It’s a crowd-pleaser that pairs well with a fresh salad or garlic bread, making it a versatile meal everyone will love.
Why You Should Make This Baked Pasta
- Easy Pasta Bake: This baked pasta shells recipe comes together quickly with simple ingredients like ground beef, pasta, and mozzarella cheese.
- Family-Friendly Dinner: Both kids and adults will love the comforting flavors of this cheesy baked pasta casserole.
- Perfect Weeknight Meal: It’s hearty, satisfying, and ready in under an hour, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
- Customizable Casserole: Add extra veggies, spices, or switch up the pasta for your own twist on this baked pasta dish.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef: Easily substitute with ground turkey, chicken, sausage or plant-based meat alternatives.
- Medium Shells Pasta: Use any short pasta like penne, rigatoni, or rotini.
- Tomato Sauce: Swap with marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, or homemade pasta sauce.
- White Onion: Substitute with yellow onion, shallots, or onion powder.
- Garlic: Use a teaspoon of garlic powder or jarred minced garlic.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Omit, or adjust for heat preference.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: Substitute with a teaspoon of dried basil or use fresh parsley.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Use a cheese blend like Parmesan, provolone, or cheddar for added flavor.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add diced bell pepper and/or mushrooms to the sauce. Alternatively, substitute the meat with sautéed vegetables to create a Vegetarian Baked Pasta Casserole.
- Ricotta Cheese: Add a few spoonfuls of ricotta cheese for extra creaminess.
How to Make Cheesy Baked Pasta Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large, oven-safe skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once browned, add the minced onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until softened.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and swirl 1/4 cup of water in the can to get every bit of sauce. Add the fresh basil leaves. Stir to combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Add the cooked pasta to the meat sauce along with half of the shredded mozzarella. Stir until evenly combined (transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish if your skillet is not meant for the oven).
- Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.
How to Serve and Store Baked Pasta
- Serve this cheesy baked pasta casserole with a crisp green salad, garlic bread, and/or a side of roasted vegetables.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C), until warmed through.
- Freezing Tip: This baked pasta casserole freezes well. Allow it to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
More Baked Pasta Recipes to Love
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Cheesy Baked Pasta Casserole
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Cheesy Baked Pasta Casserole is a hearty dish layered with savory ground beef, tender pasta, and gooey melted mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 12-ounces medium shells pasta
- 1 29-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 small white onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 6–8 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 12-ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large, oven-safe skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Once browned, add the minced onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and swirl 1/4 cup of water in the can to get every bit of sauce. Add the fresh basil leaves. Stir to combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Once the sauce has simmered, add the cooked pasta along with half of the shredded mozzarella. Stir until evenly combined (Transfer to an oven-safe casserole dish if you are not using an oven-safe skillet).
- Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
- Broil for 2-3 minutes to brown the cheese.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- Substitute ground beef with ground chicken, turkey, sausage or a meat alternative. Diced mushrooms and/or diced bell peppers are also great substitutes, or additions.
- Leave out the meat for a vegetarian baked pasta casserole.
- If swapping the tomato sauce for a jarred or homemade marinara, the sauce only needs to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Cook the pasta just to al dente.
- If possible, shred the mozzarella off the block.
- Parmesan cheese also makes for a great addition.
- Add a few dollops of ricotta cheese for extra creaminess.
- Broil for a few minutes to make the cheese bubbly and browned.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Pasta, Dinner
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
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WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
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