Description
This ground beef penne pasta bake is a hearty oven baked meal with beef, pasta, and cheese. It uses simple ingredients and suits busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 24 ounces tomato pasta sauce
- 1½ cups cottage cheese
- 2 cups shredded Italian style cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a nine by thirteen inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne for 8 to 9 minutes until just tender but still firm. Drain the pasta well.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it up, until the beef shows no pink color.
- Stir the pasta sauce into the beef mixture. Cook for 3 minutes until heated through.
- Add the drained pasta to the beef sauce and stir until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spoon half of the cottage cheese over this layer, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Add the remaining pasta mixture on top. Finish by topping with the remaining cottage cheese and shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 28 to 32 minutes until the cheese is melted, lightly browned, and bubbling around the edges.
- Let the bake rest for 10 minutes before you serve it.
Notes
- Cooking the pasta just shy of done prevents it from becoming mushy after baking.
- Ground beef reaches a safe internal temperature when it hits 160°F.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American