What's for Dinner? Mom's Easy Baked Pasta Casserole Recipe (5 Ingredients, 35 Minutes) by Ann Marie G. Halstead
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Five ingredients is all it takes to make a hearty pasta dinner for the family. This easy baked pasta casserole recipe is cheesy, meaty and on the table in no time.
Here is your short and budget-friendly shopping list for this easy high-protein pasta casserole recipe: pasta (we like fusilli), Italian sausage or ground beef (or a combination), mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce.
Start by cooking the sausage in a skillet until browned and cooked through. Add the cooked pasta, half of the mozzarella cheese, half of the grated Parmesan cheese and spaghetti sauce or alfredo sauce. (Why not use half and half and make a pink sauce?) The mixture is baked in a 13x9-inch baking pan or similar size casserole dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 30 minutes. Done.
Serve this easy, cheesy high-protein pasta casserole recipe for dinner with a salad and crusty bread. The leftovers reheat beautifully for dinner or lunch the next day.
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli, cooked according to package directions (or your favorite pasta)
- 1 pound Italian sausage or ground beef
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (divided)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan (divided)
- 23 ounces (1 jar) spaghetti sauce or alfredo sauce
Here's how to make it:
- Cook the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. (Italian sausage, ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken would work in this recipe. You could even use meatballs.)
- Combine the sausage, cooked pasta, half the mozzarella, half the Parmesan and the spaghetti sauce in a 13x9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. (You could use both alfredo and spaghetti sauce (half and half) and make a pink sauce. For added flavor, stir in some dried Italian seasoning. You can use any short pasta for this recipe that you'd like. Penne, rotini, rigatoni or bowties would all work well.)
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 25 minutes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. (I like to reheat in the microwave.)
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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