Be sure to serve this with a side of my garlic bread with cheese.
Nothing beats a cheesy, meaty pasta bake recipe. This is my go-to recipe for feeding a crowd because it’s easy to make ahead of time, there are a variety of pasta choices, and it always leaves people feeling satisfied. The pasta is smothered in plenty of meaty marinara sauce and topped with a cheesy ricotta mixture along with mozzarella cheese. Every bite is filled with flavor. Let’s get into everything you need to know!
How to Make a Pasta Bake
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than al dente. Combine the Ricotta, Parmesan, 1 whisked egg, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and set aside. Cook ground beef and onions in a large skillet. Drain grease and add seasonings.
Add marinara sauce and heat through. Combine pasta with 3/4 meat sauce and add to a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
Top with dollops of ricotta mixture and remaining meat sauce. Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
Remove cover and increase to 400°. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with garlic bread with cheese.
Make-Ahead Method
Cook the meat/onions/seasonings as outlined and then remove from heat. Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine. Let cool. Boil pasta and assemble casserole as outlined. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add an additional 10 minutes of covered baking time. (Bake covered at 375° for 30 minutes. Add the cheese and bake uncovered at 400° for 10-15 minutes.) You can also freeze the assembled casserole. Let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours prior to baking.
Pro Tips
This recipe uses a lot of sauce, you can choose to use less if desired but the pasta absorbs a surprising amount of sauce while it bakes. I linked to my go-to marinara sauce in the tools section below, or you can make my homemade marinara sauce. Ziti, Penne, and Rigatoni are all tubed-shaped pastas that cling on to the sauce well and are best for this recipe. I prefer to get the ‘rigati’ version which means that the outside has ridges, which help them cling on to the sauce even more. Feel free to use any variety or combination of ground meat including ground pork, veal, sausage, and/or beef. It’s best if you can use fresh mozzarella and Parmesan cheese from a block and shred/grate it yourself at home. This will make it much creamier and flavorful than using packaged cheese.
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Try These Next
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rao’s Marinara Sauce– Always my marinara sauce of choice, it’s restaurant worthy. 9 x 13 baking dish The perfect size for almost any pasta bake/casserole recipe. Silicone Spatula– Easy for gently combining cooked pasta with the sauce. Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block for creamy/melty results. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose and prevents it from melting as well in soups/sauces. Measuring spoons I love that these are magnetic. They keep my drawer neat.
