Baked Mostaccioli Recipe

This easy baked mostaccioli recipe combines pasta, savory meat sauce, ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella for a cheesy Italian-American casserole perfect for family dinners, and is a Midwest classic.

Course dinner, Main Course, party food

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword baked mostaccioli

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 231kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

Pasta & Sauce

1 16 oz. box Mostaccioli Pasta
1 lb Lean Ground Beef or Italian sausage
1 medium Onion diced small
3 Garlic Cloves minced
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
2 (24 oz,) jars Marinara Sauce

Ricotta Mixture

15 oz. Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 tbsp Fresh Parlsey or 1.5 tsp dried

Topping

16 oz Mozzarella Cheese freshly grated recommended

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cook the pasta according to the box directions, but undercook it slightly by 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef.
Add onion, salt, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook until softened.
Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
Add marinara sauce and simmer briefly, then mix the cooked pasta into the sauce until coated.
Combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and parsley in a bowl.
Layer half pasta in a greased 9x13 dish, then ricotta mixture, then a thin layer of mozzarella.
Add remaining pasta and top with remaining mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

If you cannot find mostaccioli noodles, substitute penne pasta instead.

Nutrition