Baked Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce

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This hearty Baked Penne Pasta is perfect for a hungry crowd or to take to a potluck. Packed with ground beef, Italian sausage, veggies, bits of velvety cream cheese, and shredded cheese, it’s the ultimate comfort food!

My Easy Baked Penne Pasta Recipe

I don’t know about you, but every now and then I crave a good pasta dish. In the past, I’ve made similar baked penne pasta casseroles. However, I usually toss everything together without measuring a single ingredient.

Recently, however, I baked a pan of this pasta to take to a memorial service at our church in Montana.

I decided to slow down and document the recipe, writing down each step and taking pictures along the way. You never know when someone will ask for the recipe, am I right?

I ended up making two pans of baked pasta; one to drop off at church and one for us to enjoy.

The Baked Penne Pasta was a big hit at our house, and I hope it’s a hit for you too!

Ingredients

• 3 links Italian sausage
• ½ lb. lean ground beef
• ½ large onion (chopped)
• ½ large bell pepper (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms (or dried gourmet mushrooms)
• 1 tsp. salt (divided)
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 T. tomato paste
• ¾ cup water
• ¼ cup red wine
• 24 oz. canned pasta sauce
• 16 oz. penne pasta
• 4 oz. cream cheese (cubed)
• 3 cups shredded cheese (your favorite blend)

Instructions

I used gourmet dried mushrooms. If you do the same, just soak them according to the directions on the container. Be sure to reserve the liquid, you’ll need it later in the recipe!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. This will be used for cooking the pasta.

Pasta Sauce

Remove sausage casing and add the sausage to a large stockpot along with the ground beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, and mushrooms.

Add salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper, basil, oregano, and Italian seasoning. Cook until the meat is no longer pink.

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Add tomato paste, 3/4 cups water (or 3/4 cup liquid from soaked mushrooms), red wine, and pasta sauce. 

Mix the ingredients in the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

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Pasta

Meanwhile, add the pasta along with 1/2 teaspoon salt to boiling water. Stir to discourage the pasta from sticking together.

Cook for 12 minutes, then drain.

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Assembly

Spray the bottom of a deep lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add a cup of pasta sauce, followed by some of the cooked pasta. 

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Distribute some cubed cream cheese and shredded cheese over the pasta along with more pasta sauce.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, making sure the pasta is completely covered with the sauce.

End with one cup of shredded cheese.

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Cover the pan with foil that’s been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake for 30 minutes

Serve with some garlic bread, and a Green Salad.

Cook’s Tips

• I always have a large container of dried gourmet mushrooms on hand. The best part about using these mushrooms is that you can use the mushroom broth (the liquid that the mushrooms are soaked in) to enhance the flavor of the sauce.
• Although you can use your favorite wine in the sauce, stay away from overly sweet wines like Rieslings and Moscatos. Instead, use wines with a dark and bold flavor, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti.
• Be sure to Spray the foil prior to covering the pasta with it. This will keep the cheese from sticking to the foil.
• When reheating the pasta, add a small amount of liquid/broth. This helps to rehydrate the pasta and keeps it from being dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I cook penne pasta?

Cook Penne Pasta for 10 to 12 minutes, or until “al dente.” The Italian term “al dente” simply means “firm to the bite.” This means you cook the pasta until it reaches the ideal consistency.

Another reason you don’t want to overcook the pasta (especially for this Baked Penne Pasta recipe) is that it will cook for an additional 30 minutes in the oven.

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• Tried this recipe? Snap a picture and tag #hildaskitchenblog on Instagram. 
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