Are you looking for one of the best chicken recipes you can find for dinner tonight? Well, we’re here to help! This amazing cheesy penne meat sauce bake offers a brilliant blend of flavors and simple ingredients that make it really hard to top around here.
When you master this recipe, you’ll walk away with a new and innovative way of looking at food. You’ll leave everyone with their mouths open and find yourself cooking this dinner again and again for your family and friends.
Taking no more than an hour (from beginning to end), this great meal is something that you have to try for yourself. Even kids will find themselves coming back to it time and time again thanks to its uniquely succulent flavor and delicious texture.
Big pasta fan and want to pick out a few more recipes? We have a lot from which you can choose! Our Chicken Bacon and Pasta With Spinach and Tomatoes in Garlic Cream Sauce meal (phew!) is one of our most popular. Try it out!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy to make, and requires no specialized skills
- Amazing blend of flavors and smells (you’ll love how the aroma lingers)
- Inexpensive investment (you won’t spend a ton on this meal)
- Unique blend of toppings that make it a great side and main dish
- Great for kids (even the bell peppers can be made a little milder for their tastes)
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pasta (Any Type): What kind of pasta do you like? Pick whatever you want for this meal! It’s not as beholden to one type, which makes it a great choice for many people. If you don’t like noodles (why are you reading this?), couscous and rice are okay.
Meat (Chicken and Sausage): Chicken and sausage give your pasta a lot of depth and flavor. What if you’re not into meat? You can use mushrooms and seitan instead. Both offer a nice texture without overwhelming the dish.
Spaghetti Sauce: Typically, this meal works best with spaghetti sauce. Meat or marinara: take your pick! If you’re not into those, you can also try a carbonara or Alfredo. Even pesto works well with it!
Mozzarella Sauce: Mozzarella blends beautifully with all these ingredients to make a gooey, awesome meal. Provolone can also do the trick, though I’d skip out on cheddar. It’s not quite right for this recipe.
Onions and Peppers: Add these piquant veggies to make your pasta meal even better! What if your kids have delicate stomachs or taste buds? Cut them out or add celery and zucchini. Both work well!
Tips for Success
- Drain the grease from your meat fully, as too much can really impact your pasta’s flavor
- Always cook your pasta al dente to get the richness you want
- Rinse your cheese before cooking to help get rid of any rough surface
- Don’t be afraid to shred your own cheese to get really nice results
- Only choose the freshest vegetables to avoid the risk of spoiling
Storage & Reheating
Before you try storing your food, let it cool completely. By the time you’re done eating for the night, it should be fine. Cover it with a plastic wrap or aluminum foil and put it in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze it for four months without losing taste.
When reheating, start by letting it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, put it in the oven at 350 degrees and check the temperature regularly. Remove and serve when done. Please don’t use a microwave unless you have no choice: it dries up the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
- Here’s a cool trick: cool food often tastes better, so don’t eat it piping hot
- Garlic bread, garlic bread, garlic bread (or breadsticks)
- Flavor with basil or oregano to add even more punch to this tasty meal
- Serve a green side salad (with your preferred toppings) for a finer balance
- Add a small bowl of grated Parmesan to flavor at your desire
Notes
Over the year, I’ve made hundreds of pasta dishes just like this for myself and my family. But I keep coming back to this one time and time again. What makes it so special to me? I think I just really love how the pasta, chicken, and sausage play together.
In fact, I made this for my daughter’s high school graduation party recently, and it was a huge hit. It wasn’t something I forced on her, either, as she requested it! I think that just about anyone will enjoy this meal, and know that you will, too.
Baking a Cheesy Penne Meat Sauce Bake With Cheeky Kitchen
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Penne pasta or rigatoni
- 1 lb. Lean ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 jar 24 oz. High-quality marinara or pasta sauce
- 15 oz. Whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese shredded and divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly coat a standard 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop in the penne pasta and cook it for exactly 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. The noodles must remain quite firm because they will continue to absorb liquid and finish cooking inside the oven. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- While the pasta water heats, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, breaking the meat up with a firm wooden spoon, until it is completely browned and no pink remains. Drain away any excess pooling grease from the pan.
- Reduce the skillet heat to low. Pour the entire jar of marinara sauce directly over the browned beef, add the Italian seasoning, and stir thoroughly. Let the meat sauce baseline simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes so the spices infuse.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the whole-milk ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, and exactly 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and black pepper, and stir firmly with a spoon until the cheeses form a thick, uniform dairy matrix.
- Add the drained penne noodles directly into the bowl with your cheese matrix. Toss gently with a spatula until the pasta is coated, then pour in the warm meat sauce baseline and fold everything together until fully integrated.
- Transfer the entire pasta and sauce mixture straight into the prepared 9×13-inch baking dish, using your spatula to spread it into a flat, even layer.
- Scatter the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese uniformly across the entire surface of the pasta bake.
- Place the dish uncovered on the middle oven rack and bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes. The casserole is finished the exact moment the sauce is bubbling fiercely around the inner edges of the pan and the top mozzarella layer is entirely melted and dotted with golden-brown spots.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it stand flat on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This brief resting window allows the starch and cheese structures to tighten up slightly so the casserole portions out beautifully. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired and serve hot.
