Comforting pasta dish with tender beef, tomato sauce, and golden cheese, ideal for sharing at dinners.
# Components:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz penne pasta
→ Meats
02 - 1.1 lb ground beef
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
05 - 24 oz tomato passata or marinara sauce
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
08 - 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt, to taste
10 - Black pepper, to taste
→ Dairy
11 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Oils
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil penne for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until fully browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato passata, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - Add cooked penne to the beef sauce mixture, stirring to evenly coat the pasta.
07 - Pour half the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat layering with remaining pasta and cheeses.
08 - Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until cheese topping is golden and bubbling.
09 - Let casserole rest for 5 minutes before portioning and serving.
