Meaty Pasta Casseroles
I love this recipe because it makes a lot—two hearty casseroles. Every time I fix it, I add something different, such as extra garlic, to give it a little extra flavor.
I love this recipe because it makes a lot—two hearty casseroles. Every time I fix it, I add something different, such as extra garlic, to give it a little extra flavor.
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
- 1 pound bulk italian pork sausage
- 1-3/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 medium green pepper chopped
- 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) italian diced tomatoes
- 1 jar (23-1/2 ounces) italian sausage and garlic spaghet
- 1 jar (16 ounces) chunky mild salsa
- 1 package (8 ounces) sliced pepperoni chopped
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded swiss cheese divided
- 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese divided
- 1-1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese divided
- 1 jar (24 ounces) three-cheese spaghetti sauce
- Carbohydrate 0.4609895 g
- Cholesterol 25.7035676333333 mg
- Fat 5.686772125 g
- Fiber 0.168739171399673 g
- Protein 7.11228596525 g
- Saturated Fat 2.22306621868333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (86g)
- Sodium 25.2454470166667 mg
- Sugar 0.292250328600327 g
- Trans Fat 0.815719915325 g
- Calories 83 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef, sausage, mushrooms, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
- Drain pasta; add to the meat mixture. Stir in the tomatoes, sausage and garlic spaghetti sauce, salsa and pepperoni.
- Preheat oven to 350degrees . Divide half of pasta mixture between two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup Swiss cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Spread 3/4 cup of three-cheese spaghetti sauce over each. Top with remaining pasta mixture and three-cheese spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.
- Cover and bake 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Many cooks overcrowd the Dutch oven when browning mixed meats, which causes the ground beef and bulk Italian pork sausage to steam in their own juices rather than develop a deep Maillard crust. Achieving proper protein browning requires medium heat and sufficient surface contact to render out excess fat before the vegetables are introduced. Mushrooms contain roughly ninety percent water by weight; sweating them alongside the onions and green peppers until moisture fully evaporates concentrates savory glutamates rather than diluting the sauce. Cooking penne pasta precisely until al dente ensures the tubular shapes retain structural integrity when subjected to a combined total of thirty-five minutes in a 350-degree oven. Dividing the mixture across two separate 13x9-inch baking dishes prevents the dense mass from insulating itself against heat penetration, ensuring the center reaches safe serving temperatures uniformly. Layering Swiss, part-skim mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses both inside the casserole and across the top creates varying melting points, where high-fat cheeses contribute stretch while aged varieties add umami density.
- Drain rendered animal fat thoroughly after browning the meat mixture to prevent the final sauce from breaking and separating into an oily layer.
- Cover the baking dishes for the first twenty-five minutes of baking to trap steam, then uncover for the final ten minutes to promote surface browning without drying out the interior pasta.
- Shred block cheeses rather than using pre-bagged varieties coated in anti-caking cellulose, which inhibits smooth melting.
Properly cooled leftovers can be stored in airtight containers within the refrigerator for up to four days or frozen unbaked for subsequent meals. Maintaining correct oven calibration prevents the outer edges from scorching before the internal layers reach the required temperature.
