Easy Baked Mostaccioli (aka: Baked Cheesy Pasta)

Also known as Baked Ziti, Baked Penne, or Baked Cheesy Pasta as we like to refer to it, Easy Baked Mostaccioli is a hearty simple baked pasta dish made of tube-shaped noodles surrounded in meaty tomato sauce and melty cheese. But no matter what you call it, it's a tasty family-friendly and budget-friendly dish worthy of becoming a weeknight dinner staple for sure.
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Growing up in a Vermont town where everyone was seemingly of either Italian or French descent, Mostaccioli was a very common dish. Pronounced "must-uh-CHO-lee," it's a hearty simple pasta dish made of tube-shaped noodles surrounded in meaty tomato sauce. This easy baked version also gets smothered with a good dose of delicious melty cheese.

You may also know this dish as Baked Ziti, Baked Penne, or Baked Cheesy Pasta, as we like to refer to it. -- But no matter what you call it, it's a tasty family-friendly and budget-friendly dish that should become a weeknight dinner staple for sure.

This is our family's baked version, loaded with ground beef, sauce, melted mozzarella and Parmesan, and big ridged rigatoni noodles to hold onto all that cheesy goodness.

In the town in which I grew up, Mostaccioli was a dish traditionally served at church suppers and events. In the South where I live now, church suppers are always pulled pork barbecue or chicken pie.  But in my Vermont hometown? -- It was chicken and mostaccioli. And I must say, I love the stuff.

This is our family's baked version, loaded with ground beef, sauce, melted mozzarella and Parmesan, and big ridged rigatoni noodles to hold onto all that cheesy goodness.

Whip up a pan for dinner, and I guarantee you'll want it to make frequent appearances on your dinner table -- Just like it does on ours.

Easy Baked Mostaccioli Ingredients:

Easy Baked Mostaccioli comes together with a handful of basic ingredients. To whip up a pan, you'll need:

• Rigatoni pasta - The foundational ingredient of Baked Mostaccioli. We prefer our Baked Mostaccioli made with big ridged rigatoni noodles, but penne or ziti noodles can be used instead.

• Ground beef - The protein component of the dish. We use 80/20 ground beef for its full flavor, but leaner ground beef (such as 90/10 or 93/7) can be substituted just fine.

• Onion & garlic - Fresh onion and garlic amp up the flavor of the dish.

• Jarred spaghetti sauce - The convenience of jarred sauce makes this easy Baked Mostaccioli recipe super simple to prepare. Use your favorite jarred sauce -- we always use Prego brand Fresh Mushroom.

• Canned diced (or petite diced) tomatoes - Adds bulk and volume to the recipe's jarred spaghetti sauce, without which the baked pasta would end up too dry.

• Italian seasoning - Brings depth of flavor to the dish. If you don't have Italian seasoning on hand, use a combination of dried basil and dried oregano in its place.

• Salt - As with most things, a bit of salt enhances the dish's flavors.

• Shredded mozzarella cheese - We recommend shredding your own from a block of whole or part-skim mozzarella, as it creates a creamier, more-melty result. However, packaged pre-shredded mozzarella does work just fine, as well.

• Shredded Parmesan cheese - Shred your own or use packaged pre-shredded. Grated Parmesan works just fine, as well.

How to Make Easy Baked Mostaccioli:

To make a pan of Easy Baked Mostaccioli, start by cooking up a box of rigatoni noodles according to the package directions.

While the rigatoni noodles cook, prepare a simple sauce with ground beef, onion, garlic, and jarred pasta sauce. Also stir in a can of diced tomatoes to make sure there's enough sauce to go around. -- We like to make sure there's plenty of sauce so the baked pasta isn't dry in the end.

Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce mixture and stir to combine until all the noodles are well coated.

Next, layer half the pasta mixture in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top the pasta layer with half the recipe's mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top of the cheese to create a another layer. Then top the noodles with the recipe's remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Pop the pan in the oven and bake it up until everything's heated through and the cheese is melty -- about 30 minutes or so.

Then you're ready to serve up the cheesy deliciousness! Pair the Baked Mostaccioli with a simple salad, and dig on in to one hearty and satisfying tasty meal.

So whether you call it Easy Baked Mostaccioli, Baked Ziti, Baked Penne, or Baked Cheesy Pasta as we often like to refer to it, this is one tasty family-friendly and budget-friendly dish that will become a weeknight dinner staple for sure.

Check out these other easy family-friendly pasta main dishes:

• 4-Ingredient Quick & Easy Goulash
• Lazy Lasagna (with Frozen Ravioli)
• Nanna's Baked Spaghetti
• Bacon Cheeseburger Mac
• Hamburger Noodle Bake
• Beef Stroganoff Casserole
• Pizza Spaghetti Bake
• Pasta in Creamy Sausage Sauce
• Quick Weeknight Chicken Penne Alfredo
• Chili Cheese Mac
• Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
• More main dish recipes

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

baked mostaccioli recipe, baked ziti recipe, baked penne recipe, baked cheesy pasta, easy dinner recipes

Main Dishes

Italian

Yield: about 8-10 servings

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Easy Baked Mostaccioli

Also known as Baked Ziti, Baked Penne, or Baked Cheesy Pasta as we like to refer to it, Easy Baked Mostaccioli is a hearty simple baked pasta dish made of tube-shaped noodles surrounded in meaty tomato sauce and melty cheese. But no matter what you call it, it's a tasty family-friendly and budget-friendly dish worthy of becoming a weeknight dinner staple for sure.

Prep time: 20 MCook time: 45 MTotal time: 65 M

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz.) box rigatoni pasta
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced or petite diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 c. (about 8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. (about 2 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

How to cook Easy Baked Mostaccioli

1. Cook rigatoni pasta in salted water according to package directions; drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until cooked through. Drain.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet with ground beef. Cook until onion is just tender, about 3 minutes.
4. Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes with their juice, Italian seasoning, and salt; stir to combine. Heat through until mixture just begins to bubble.
5. Remove from heat. Add cooked rigatoni pasta and stir to combine until pasta is coated with sauce.
6. Layer half the pasta mixture in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top with half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
7. Spoon remaining pasta mixture on top of the cheese to create a second layer. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melty. Let stand about 5-10 minutes before serving.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. You can substitute penne or ziti pasta for the rigatoni, if you'd like.  Pretty much any other kind of pasta will work, too.
2. Substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef if you'd like.  Or, use a combination of the two -- it's great either way.
3. For the best melty cheesy result, shred your own cheeses.

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