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    Home » Recipes » Dinner Recipes » Meaty Marinara Baked Pasta (Easy Weeknight Dinner!)

    Meaty Marinara Baked Pasta (Easy Weeknight Dinner!)

    Published: Jan 31, 2023 by Lynn Polito · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

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    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!

    A close of up the meaty marinara in the baking dish and a portion is on a plate.

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. However this is at no cost to you. Read my affiliate links full disclosure policy here.

    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 chicken and bacon carbonara, Italian broccoli and pasta, and Pasta fagioli!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • Meaty Marinara Sauce vs. Bolognese
    • How To Make Meaty Marinara Pasta!
    • Variations
    • Storage Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Great Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients You'll Need

    An overhead shot of the ingredients for meaty marinara pasta
    • 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.
    • Mozzarella cheese. To mix into the pasta and to sprinkle on top to get a crispy crust.
    • Salt and black pepper. To taste.

    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 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.

    The onions and garlic are being sauteed in olive oil.
    The ground beef is being cooked with the onions and garlic,.

    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.

    The ground beef is being cooked with the onions and garlic,.
    The tomatoes are added to the pan.

    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.

    The cheese is added to the pasta.
    Cheese is sprinkled on top of the baking dish.

    Serve this pasta with extra parmesan cheese and garlic bread.

    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!
    An overhead shot of the meaty marinara is a baking dish.

    Storage Tips

    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

    Is this the meaty marinara pasta recipe from Pizza Hut?

    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!

    Can I use a jar of marinara sauce?

    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.

    Can I make this ahead of time?

    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.

    A spoon is in the baking dish with the meaty marinara pasta bake.

    More Great Recipes

    • 5 Ingredient Meatball recipe
    • Instant Pot Chicken Broth
    • Instant Pot Brown Rice
    • One Pot Sausage and Peppers

    Did you love this recipe? If you did, please leave a 5 ⭐️ rating below! Follow along on Instagram and Facebook!

    📖 Recipe

    A close of up the meaty marinara in the baking dish and a portion is on a plate.

    Meaty Marinara Baked Pasta

    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!
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 6 Servings
    Calories: 557kcal
    Author: Lynn Polito

    Equipment

    • Knives
    • Cutting Board
    • Baking Dish
    • Dutch Oven

    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

    Nutrition

    Calories: 557kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 464mg | Potassium: 902mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 384mg | Iron: 5mg
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    Hey there! I'm Lynn and I'm based just outside of Boston. I'm a wife and mom of two with a passion for cooking and creating homemade food for my family.

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