Here’s a simple, comforting baked pasta dinner you can make with basic ingredients:
🍝 Easy Baked Pasta (Family-Style)
🛒 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 12 oz (340g) pasta (penne, ziti, or rigatoni)
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef or Italian sausage (optional)
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: ½ cup ricotta cheese for extra creaminess
- Fresh basil or parsley (optional garnish)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain.
- Brown meat (if using) in a skillet over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Add sauce & seasoning to the meat (or directly to pasta if meatless). Simmer 5 minutes.
- Combine pasta with sauce mixture. Stir in ricotta if using.
- Transfer to baking dish (9×13 inch).
- Top with mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
🥗 Optional Add-Ins
- Sautéed mushrooms or spinach
- Red pepper flakes for heat
- Extra cheese on top for a golden crust
If you’d like, I can give you:
- A creamy white-sauce version
- A vegetarian version
- A high-protein or healthy version
- A 5-ingredient super quick version 😊
