Baked Mostaccioli Pasta

When you need a comforting, crowd-pleasing dinner that’s easy to throw together, this baked mostaccioli pasta is one of my go-to recipes. It’s everything you want in a baked pasta dish. It’s cheesy, hearty, saucy, and packed with flavor.

This is the kind of meal that fills your kitchen with that classic Italian aroma and brings everyone to the table fast. It’s perfect for Sunday dinner, potlucks, or a weeknight when you just want something warm and satisfying.

You can use mostaccioli or penne pasta, whatever you have on hand. I’ve made it with both Italian sausage and lean ground beef, and honestly, you can’t go wrong either way. It’s the cheese that really brings it all together. Lots of melted mozzarella baked into every bite.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound mostaccioli or penne pasta
  • 1 pound Italian sausage or lean ground beef
  • 36 ounces pasta sauce (store-bought or homemade)
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
  2. In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage (or ground beef) over medium heat. Drain any excess fat.
  3. While the meat cooks, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, browned meat, pasta sauce, and 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Stir everything together until evenly mixed.
  5. Pour the pasta mixture into your prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly. Cover with foil and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
  6. Remove the foil, sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the top, and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  7. Garnish with chopped parsley just before serving.

That’s it. Simple ingredients, simple steps, and you’ve got a meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. Serve it with garlic bread and a fresh salad, and dinner is done.

This baked mostaccioli is the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep on rotation. It freezes well too, so you can double the batch and save some for later.