Cheesy Pasta Bake (Printable Version)
This dish combines ziti pasta with a savory meat sauce, four kinds of cheese, and Italian seasoning. It’s baked to golden perfection with bubbly cheese on top.
# What You'll Need:
01 -
1 pound penne or ziti pasta.
02 -
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and split.
03 -
8 ounces softened cream cheese.
04 -
1 tablespoon of olive oil.
05 -
1 small onion, diced finely.
06 -
1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage.
07 -
2 large eggs.
08 -
15 ounces ricotta cheese, drained well.
09 -
1/2 cup sour cream.
10 -
2 (24-ounce) jars of marinara sauce.
11 -
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely.
12 -
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
13 -
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
14 -
1/2 teaspoon salt.
15 -
Chopped fresh basil or parsley for topping.
# Steps to Follow:
01 -
Heat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cook the pasta and stop 2 minutes before it's fully soft.
02 -
Brown onion and meat in a pan. Toss in garlic, stir for a bit, then pour in marinara. Let it bubble on low for 10 minutes.
03 -
Whisk together cream cheese, then stir in eggs, sour cream, ricotta, half the mozzarella, the Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
04 -
Add a cup of sauce to your cheese mix and combine with pasta. Spread into the baking dish and top with the rest of the sauce and mozzarella.
05 -
Cover tightly using greased foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then take off the foil and cook for 20 more minutes until bubbling. Wait 10 minutes before digging in.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
Replace ricotta with cottage cheese if you want.
02 -
Leave pasta slightly undercooked so it doesn't get mushy.
03 -
You can prepare this ahead of time and refrigerate.