You have to try this Meaty Pasta Bake! This savory, and hearty pasta will have you pushing yourself away from the table. Enjoy!
Meaty Pasta Bake
When time is short, the last thing you want to do is spend hours in the kitchen cooking dinner. Am I right?! When life gets super busy, I like to have meals that I can prepare in advance and pop it in the oven right before dinner. As tempting as hitting the drive-thru is, it gets expensive and home-cooked meals just taste better in my opinion (and are better for you!) Plus, with the holiday’s approaching – quick meals are almost a necessity. This is also great for company because it’s easy to double (and will feed a bunch of people) – I just use my roasting pan when I double this. If you want an easy, no-fuss clean-up, use aluminum pans that can be thrown away!
If you want to cook this ahead, do all the steps up to putting it in the pan. Cover and refrigerate (or freeze). Allow the frozen casserole to thaw in the refrigerator before cooking. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. When you’re ready to eat, just bake according to recipe directions! Easy peasy!
Sometimes, I also like to add saute’d mushrooms, onions and green pepper – just for the extra nutrition of the veggies and the color. If you prefer a more saucy pasta, feel free to add more sauce. I used half regular rigatoni noodles and half mezzi rigatoni noodles (shorter rigatoni noodles) – but use whatever you have on hand or whatever your family prefers.
We enjoyed this meal with a side salad and crusty French Bread.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Meaty Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta noodles 16 oz.
- ¾ – 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
- 3 – 5 ounces pepperoni slices quartered
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce, or more to taste 24-32 oz.
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded 8 oz.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cook noodles according to pasta directions and drain. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook and crumble the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain and return to the pan. Add spaghetti sauce and pepperoni slices. When the pasta has been cooked and drained, add it to the pan with the spaghetti sauce. Mix well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top mixture with Mozzarella cheese. Bake 20-30 minutes or until the dish is heated through and the cheese is melted.
Notes
- Sometimes, I also like to add saute’d mushrooms, onions and green pepper – just for the extra nutrition of the veggies and the color.
- If you prefer a more saucy pasta, feel free to add more sauce.
- I used half regular rigatoni noodles and half mezzi rigatoni noodles (shorter rigatoni noodles) – but use whatever you have on hand or whatever your family prefers.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on December 12, 2012. Updated on April 22, 2021.
This looks delicious and simple to make, I have never thought of putting Italian sausages into a pasta dish 🙂 Pinned !
Looks great Jamie!
Looks tasty and quick to make!
I'm with you, the home cooked meals just taste better!
YUM! I think I might make this for lunch! I have sausage already defrosted in the fridge to make meatballs but this looks delish! Pinned!
Michelle
Always a crowd pleaser I like your addition of sausage. Thanks for bring it by foodie friday.
Pasta!! Such a comfort food! This looks great, and is always a potluck pleaser. Thank you for sharing at Foodie Friends Friday.
We are pasta fiends in this house, and I can always use new recipes. Thanks for sharing at Church Supper. Have a blessed week, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year ~EMM
Oh this sounds yummy! I could go for a plate right now!
Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great day and come back real soon!
Miz Helen
Yum! And bonus that it can be made ahead and/or frozen. Seems perfect for this time of year. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Jamie!
Thanks for linking up too!
This is my kind of pasta dish! Thanks for sharing this one. Come and visit us this week. We are having a wonderful giveaway from a very talented Southern author.
Oh we all love a good hearty pasta dish around here! This looks great! Thanks for linking up at Show Me Your Plaid Monday's!
You had me at pasta and easy Jamie 😉 Another one to pin! Thanks for sharing it at the party this week! I'm also featuring it on my Facebook page 🙂
Hi Jamie,
This looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing at Wednesday's Adorned From Above Blog Hop. This weeks party is live. I hope to see you there.
http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/12/6-crafts-and-recipes-and-wednesdays.html
Debi @ Adorned From Above
Joye and Myrna @ The Busy Bee's
Linda @ With A Blast