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Easy Double Cheese Baked Penne

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Easy Double Cheese Baked Penne
  • Prep 30 min
  • Total 1 hr 5 min
  • Ingredients 9
  • Servings 8
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This easy penne pasta bake is a freezer-friendly comfort food you can make ahead and enjoy later. Surprise the people you love with a cheesy penne pasta bake that will taste just as good in a couple of months as it does tonight. With plenty of hearty beef, gooey cheese and bubbly pasta sauce, it's one of those satisfying, borderline-magical 13x9-inch meals that never seems to end!
By Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated Oct 5, 2020

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups (8 oz) penne pasta, cooked and drained
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 jar (24 oz) chunky vegetable pasta sauce
  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend (8 oz)

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F. In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in cooked pasta, salt, pepper and pasta sauce.
  • 2
    In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • 3
    Spoon half of pasta mixture (about 3 1/2 cups) into bottom of baking dish. Spoon ricotta mixture evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese.
  • 4
    Spray piece of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
  • 5
    To Make Ahead: Wrap foil-covered casserole in double layer of plastic wrap; label and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and bake: Thaw overnight or until completely thawed in refrigerator. Remove plastic. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until center is hot (165°F) and cheese is melted. To bake from freezer (no thawing): Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is hot (165°F) and cheese is melted.

Tips from the Pillsbury Kitchens

  • tip 1
    Use a 13x9-inch foil pan to make and take the frozen casserole to someone. Remember to include the heating directions.
  • tip 2
    Use nonstick foil to cover casserole for convenience.
  • tip 3
    Garnish with chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) or regular parsley just before serving.

Nutrition Information

400 Calories, 16g Total Fat, 27g Protein, 36g Total Carbohydrate, 2g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
400
Calories from Fat
150
Total Fat
16g
25%
Saturated Fat
8g
38%
Trans Fat
1/2g
Cholesterol
85mg
29%
Sodium
840mg
35%
Potassium
240mg
7%
Total Carbohydrate
36g
12%
Dietary Fiber
3g
12%
Sugars
2g
Protein
27g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
20%
20%
Vitamin C
6%
6%
Calcium
30%
30%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 2 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • Sure, we love a good pasta dinner with noodles smothered in sauce, who doesn’t? But when the noodles and sauce are baked (preferably with lots of cheese on top!), your pasta dish turns into a comfort food-worthy casserole. The best part of this baked penne pasta is that it’s freezer-friendly so you can make it and then store it in the freezer to have on hand to gift to a neighbor or friend, or when you’re in a dinnertime pinch. You could also divide the recipe into two 8x8 or 9x9 square dishes, and make one for dinner and freeze the other for later. We like our penne pasta with lots of sauce and even more cheese. How about you? Do you prefer traditional Italian pasta using penne noodles and tomato sauce or do you like to take it up a notch and turn it into a spin on comfort food?
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