Italian Pasta Bake

Name: Italian Pasta Bake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings.
Cuisine: Comfort Food Dinner Recipes, Comfort Food Recipes, Indian Recipes, Italian Dinners, Italian Recipes
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 3 cups uncooked medium pasta shells; 3 plum tomatoes, sliced; 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese; 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

I love to make this pasta bake whenever I need to bring a dish to pass. Fresh tomatoes add a nice touch that's missing from most other meat, pasta and tomato casseroles.—Karla Johnson, East Helena, Montana

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cups uncooked medium pasta shells
3 plum tomatoes, sliced
3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add to beef mixture and gently stir in tomatoes.
Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Test Kitchen Tips

Using lean ground beef instead of beef that’s 80% lean saves 45 calories per 4-ounce serving of beef. Lean ground beef is also 29% lower in saturated fat.

Before adding any vegetable to your bake, it’s best to cook it first. Be sure to strain out any excess liquid from the cooking process. Not doing so might make your dish watery.

From old-world classics to new favorites, find your favorite Italian recipes for dinner tonight.

Nutrition Facts

1-1/2 cups: 489 calories, 20g fat (8g saturated fat), 80mg cholesterol, 702mg sodium, 45g carbohydrate (10g sugars, 5g fiber), 32g protein.

Originally published as Cheese 'n' Pasta in a Pot in Church Supper 2010 Bookazine

Reviews

Click stars to rate

Average Rating:

Amanda

Jun 2, 2019

Only change I made was only boiling the pasta for a few minutes. Boiling the pasta, then baking, made it mushy. The texture was not pleasant. Boil the pasta for half the recommended time, then mix it in and bake. Turns out much better!
fhquilting

Jan 3, 2019

I used 1 # of 93% ground beef and 1 # Italian sausage Drain both meats.. Added small package of turkey pepperoni before baking. Very good!
travel6188

Nov 8, 2017

Good flavor but greasy. I used 85/15 ground beef so that may have been the reason.
shiberdiber

Oct 9, 2012

Very flavorful and easy to make. Makes 2 casseroles, making it easy to freeze one and save for later. I thought I had penne pasta, but didn't, so I ended up using medium shell pasta and it was still great!