I usually make mine with ground venison, Barilla Protein+ pasta, and Rao’s pasta sauce, but this is a flexible, use-what-you-have kind of recipe. Beef, turkey, elk, or no meat at all work beautifully.
Why Make Two?
Cook the pasta and sauce once, then divide everything between two small baking dishes. Bake one for dinner and freeze the other for later, or gift it to someone who could use a homemade meal. Serve with a Caesar salad and garlic bread for an easy family dinner. For a larger family, bake the entire recipe in one larger baking dish instead of dividing it into two small ones. Or double the recipe and divide it between two larger dishes so you can bake one now and freeze one for later.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente, then drain.
- Brown the ground meat in a skillet until fully cooked, draining excess fat if necessary. Stir in both jars of sauce and Italian herbs.
- Toss pasta with sauce and divide between two 8 × 6-inch baking dishes. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan or pecorino over each.
- Bake one dish for approximately 15 minutes, until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. Rest briefly before serving.
- Cool the second dish, cover tightly, label, and freeze for up to 2–3 months for best quality.
Notes
Freezing and Reheating
This meal freezes very well. I usually freeze it in a Pyrex baking dish, but disposable foil casserole pans are especially handy for freezer meals and gifting. Let the unbaked pasta bake cool before covering and freezing. For best quality, aim to use within 2–3 months.
Using glass bakeware? Thaw the pasta bake completely in the refrigerator before baking, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your dish. Never transfer a frozen glass dish directly into a hot oven.
From the Refrigerator
Preheat to 375°F. Cover tightly with foil and bake about 25–30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
From Frozen (Foil Pans Only)
Preheat to 375°F. Keep covered with foil and bake approximately 60–70 minutes, then uncover for another 10–15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Check that the center reaches 165°F; timing will vary by pan and oven. Rest 5–10 minutes before serving. You can also thaw in the refrigerator before baking, which shortens the time.
Important: These from-frozen instructions are for freezer-to-oven-safe foil pans only. If using glass, thaw completely in the refrigerator first and follow the bakeware manufacturer’s instructions.
Make It Your Own
Skip the meat for a vegetarian version (I especially recommend protein pasta in that case), or swap in whatever ground meat you have. Penne works just as well as rotini, and the cheese measurements are suggestions, not rules. I usually just sprinkle until everything looks nicely covered.