Ready in under an hour, this Meaty Marinara Pasta Bake is a delicious weeknight meal to serve your hungry family! It's full of lean ground beef, tomato sauce, cheesy mozzarella, and your favorite pasta!
Have you ever had that delicious Pizza Hut meaty marinara pasta? It's a nostalgic treat I remember having as a kid. Now, I prefer to remake those classics in my own kitchen! This meaty marinara is a treat your family will love!
On busy weeknights, we don't want to be standing at the stove for hours and hours to get dinner on the table. Pasta dishes to the rescue! They are easy to make, filling, and can me made ahead of time! This will quickly become a new family favorite dinner!
If you love this recipe, be sure to check out Pizza Casserole with Pasta, chicken and bacon carbonara, classic Italian broccoli and pasta, butternut squash mac and cheese, and Pasta fagioli!
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Baked Pasta Recipe Ingredients
- 1 Pound of pasta. Cooked rotini pasta is classic to mix with the meaty sauce, but you can use penne or your favorite variety.
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Tomato puree can be used or a combination of canned tomato sauce and tomato paste.
- Olive oil. To saute the onions and garlic in.
- Large onion. Chopped into small pieces. You can use onion powder, but the chopped onion adds texture to the pasta sauce too.
- Garlic clove. 3 garlic cloves or 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic. 2 teaspoons of garlic powder can be used as well.
- Italian Seasoning. Dried basil, dried parsley, and dried oregano can be used or a combination of all of them.
- 1 pound lean ground beef. 93/7 or 90/10 is a great option so there is not too much fat in the pasta. Ground beef is perfect in pasta recipes! Just like in this meat lover's lasagna and ground beef with pasta shells, it makes any pasta dish more hearty!
- Mozzarella cheese. To mix into the pasta and to sprinkle on top to get a crispy crust.
- Salt and black pepper. To taste.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
Meaty Marinara Sauce vs. Bolognese
Though this might seem like a Bolognese sauce, it's not! The main ingredients in Bolognese are carrots, celery, onion, and tomato sauce. This sauce simply has onions, garlic, and tomato sauce. This would be considered a marinara meat sauce instead of a classic Bolognese sauce.
How To Make Meaty Marinara Pasta
- Place a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped onions, and chopped garlic. Cook until the onion slightly softens, about 3 minutes. Add the ground meat, break up the meat, and cook until the ground meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and let the sauce simmer.
3. Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Salt the water liberally and add the pasta once the water comes to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add half the pasta to a baking dish. Spoon in the pasta sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining pasta and remaining sauce. Mix the ingredients right in the baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the baking dish with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is bubbly.
5. Serve this marinara pasta bake with extra parmesan cheese and garlic bread!
Oven Baked Pasta Variations
- Add sausage! There's nothing wrong with making this even more meaty and adding a few links of sweet Italian sausage. You can use spicy Italian sausage and add a little kick with some extra red pepper flakes.
- Add chicken! Instead of lean ground beef, feel free to use ground chicken breast to make this dinner a little lighter.
- Use turkey! Just like chicken, the use of ground turkey would lighten this dish but would be just as delicious!
- Add veggies! I love to bulk up recipes with lots of veggies. Chop up green pepper, shred zucchini, dice fresh mushrooms, or chop carrots to add to the marinara sauce.
- Make it more cheesy! Add a creamy ricotta cheese layer to this pasta casserole to make this dish even more cheesy!
- Serve this delicious recipe with Italian sauteed eggplant too!
How to Serve Baked Penne Marinara
Baked penne marinara is such a versatile dish that pairs well with so many sides! Here are some of our favorite ways to serve it:
- Garlic bread. A classic pairing! Thick, buttery garlic bread is perfect for scooping up all that delicious marinara sauce.
- Caesar salad. A crisp, fresh Caesar salad balances out the richness of the baked pasta beautifully.
- Simple green salad. Toss together some mixed greens, cucumbers, and a light vinaigrette for an easy, fresh side.
- Roasted vegetables. Roasted zucchini, broccoli, or asparagus are all great options to round out the meal.
- Crusty Italian bread. Slice up a fresh loaf and let everyone tear off a piece to soak up the extra sauce.
- Meatballs. Serve a few on the side or right on top for an extra hearty, protein packed meal.
Storing This Baked Pasta Dish
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the pasta in a microwave safe bowl or in an oven safe bowl in the oven.
You can also freeze this pasta right in the baking dish for future use. Make the pasta dish completely and then cover it with aluminum foil. Freeze the baking dish for up to 3 months. To reheat, place the baking dish in the refrigerator until it is defrosted and then bake it for 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe can be considered a copycat recipe from the popular delivery serve. The pizza hut pizza sauce is a top secret recipe, so this recipe isn't an exact match, but it's pretty close!
Yes! I prefer to make my own homemade spaghetti sauce, but if you have a jar of your marinara sauce your family loves, add that to this easy recipe.
Yes! You can put this pasta dish together completely and then cover it with aluminum foil. Refrigerate it for up to 24 hours and then sprinkle it with shredded mozzarella. Bake it for 30 minutes right before you are ready to serve it.
Did you make this recipe and love it?
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📖 Recipe
Baked Penne Marinara
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta Rotini or Penne
- 1 large Onion
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef 93/7 or 90/10
- 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped onions, and chopped garlic. Cook until the onion slightly softens, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground meat, break up the meat, and cook until the ground meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low heat and let the sauce simmer.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Salt the water liberally and add the pasta once the water comes to a rolling boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add half the pasta to a baking dish. Spoon in the pasta sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining pasta and remaining sauce. Mix the ingredients right in the baking dish. Sprinkle the top of the baking dish with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Serve with parmesan cheese and garlic bread.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the pasta in a microwave safe bowl or in an oven safe bowl in the oven.
- I prefer to make my own homemade spaghetti sauce, but if you have a jar of your marinara sauce your family loves, add that to this easy recipe
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