Grandma's Cheesy Chicago-Style Baked Pasta Casserole Recipe Casseroles Pasta Beef Pork Dinner Low Sugar Recipes

Who knew mostaccioli was a thing in Chicago? Mostaccioli, also called penne lisce, is a pasta from the Campania region in Southern Italy, which includes Naples, Capri and Sorrento. Mostaccioli is similar to penne, but if you want to do it the Chicago way, it's time to mostaccioli!

Moms and grandmas all over Chicago have their own special recipe for mostaccioli. This easy mostaccioli pasta casserole recipe is made with Italian sausage and ground beef. The meats are browned with onion and garlic, then combined with marinara sauce, a bay leaf, dried Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. After it simmers gently on the stove for about 15 minutes, half of the mozzarella, half of the asiago and the al dente pasta are stirred in. The mixture is poured into a casserole dish, topped with the remaining cheese and baked until melty and lightly browned on top.

This hearty pasta casserole is comforting and satisfying on a cold night. Serve this Italian-American pasta recipe with a salad and hot garlic bread.

Cuisine: Italian / American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 16 ounces mostaccioli pasta
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, crumbled
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 jars (23 ounces each) marinara sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup grated asiago cheese
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Recipe Notes

• You could use ground pork instead of Italian sausage, and ground turkey instead of ground beef. 

• If you can't find mostaccioli, use penne or your favorite short pasta. 

• Manchego, Grana Padano or gruyere could be substitute for the asiago. 

• This easy mostaccioli recipe is made with jarred marinara sauce, but feel free to use homemade pasta sauce.

Here's how to make it: 

1. Cook the crumbled Italian sausage, ground beef and onion in a deep skillet or soup pot until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. 
2. Add the marinara sauce, bay leaf, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. Stir and cook about 15 minutes.
3. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Do not overcook. 
4. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and half of the asiago and mozzarella cheese. Pour into a greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Top with the remaining cheese. 
5. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and beginning to lightly brown. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

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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