Pure comfort food, this Penne Pasta Bake recipe has a meaty, creamy sauce and lots and lots of cheese. It is perfect for a busy night, and is perfect for feeding a crowd.
While we always love pasta, penne pasta is one of my person favorites! If you love penne, too – check out this Sausage and Peppers Pasta, Penne with Butternut Squash and Sausage, or Key West Penne.
As a food blogger, it’s sometimes embarrassing to admit that my kids aren’t the most adventurous eaters. And by that, I mean they are picky.
While it is getting better as they get older, we still struggle sometimes. But there are a few things that they will all eat almost every time. Homemade pizza. Meatballs. Tacos. And pasta.
It’s a good thing that I like pasta too, because it becomes my go-to quite often.
But really – what’s not to love (for the whole family) in this dish? A meaty, creamy red sauce, pasta, and lots and lots of cheese. This is comfort food that I will totally get behind any day of the week.
Ingredients
- Penne Pasta: I think penne works best for this recipe because its shape holds the sauce well.
- Ground Beef: I like to use a lean ground beef so that I don’t have a lot of grease or fat. Fore more flavor, feel free to sub out part of the ground beef for sausage.
- Onion: This adds great flavor. A clove or two of minced garlic would be delicious, as well!
- Marinara Sauce: Make sure you use a marinara sauce that you really love. Don’t use straight tomato sauce, because the flavor will be lacking. I like to use a marinara sauce that has lots of Italian spices in it.
- Sour Cream: This is what makes the dish creamy. You can technically leave it out, but you’ll lose the creamy aspect, and that’s one of the things I love the most about this recipe!
- Provolone, Mozzarella, and Parmesan: Yes, it’s cheesy, and maybe that’s why my kids love it so much! I love the mixture of all three cheeses. And I love to use sliced Provolone – I feel like it makes it that much cheesier!
- Parsley: Not required, but I always love having something fresh and green added at the end!
How to Make this Penne Pasta Bake
PASTA: Cook your pasta until al dente. You don’t want to overcook it, otherwise it will be mushy once it is all combined and baked.
SAUCE: To make the sauce, cook the ground beef with the onion, then add the marinara and let it all cook together and simmer. Stir in the sour cream.
COMBINE: Stir the cooked pasta into the meat sauce.
ASSEMBLE: To assemble, you are going to have 2 layers of meat/pasta and cheese. Start by adding half of the pasta to your baking dish. Top it with half the provolone, (tearing the slices, if needed), then half of the mozzarella. Add the rest of the pasta, then the remaining provolone, mozzarella, then the parmesan.
BAKE: Bake the pasta until the cheese is melted, then top with parsley before serving.
Penne Pasta Bake Video
If you’d like to watch how to make this penne pasta bake, you can watch the video above.
Tips and Tricks
- You could technically use any pasta you want here, but I find that a short cut pasta works perfectly. I love penne because it becomes coated by the sauce so well. Plus, my kids like the best, so that is always a deciding factor!
- You can use shredded Provolone if you can find it, but I actually really like the slices of cheese in this recipe.
- This Penne Pasta Bake makes great leftovers!
- You can make this pasta bake ahead of time. Make it up until right before you bake it. Cover and refrigerate, then let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking it. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time. You will know when it’s ready when the cheese is melted and bubbling.
More Pasta Recipes
One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff
One Pan Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Skillet Lasagna
Shrimp Pasta with Poblano Cream Sauce
Creamy Mac and Cheese
Tuna Casserole
Baked Spaghetti
LOOKING FOR MORE FREE RECIPES?
Subscribe to my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more family-friendly inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
Penne Pasta Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz penne pasta
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- 6 oz sliced Provolone
- 4 oz shredded or sliced Mozzarella
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the onion and cook until softened. Add the spaghetti sauce and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the sour cream. Add the drained pasta and stir to coat.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour half of the pasta into the baking dish. Top with half of the Provolone and half of the Mozzarella. Pour the remaining pasta on top and top with the remaining Provolone and Mozzarella, and sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
al says
So easy and so delicious
al says
So easy, and so good
al says
excelent recipe
marion says
I have made this 3 times and it is just the best recipe.
Amelia says
This is such a great comfort food dinner. It’s easy to make, and my kids gobble it up.
Faedra says
This was so delicious and great for the whole family.
Rabeeca Adril says
Wowwwwwww! i just love this recipe thanks for sharing.
Beth says
Family loved it! Going to make it for a baby shower! Just added a 45 oz jar of sauce instead per the comment’s recommendations (and since it will sit out a bit at shower) and some Italian seasoning and minced garlic to meat. Thanks again — very delicious!
poiuyt says
This was a hit at our house!
Kay says
great recipe!! I did it basically the same as yours but substituted ricotta for the provolone. definitely a crowd pleaser. thanks for the recipe….10 thumbs up from my husband, 3 kids and i.
Deborah says
Thanks, Kay – so glad it was enjoyed by all!!
Mady says
I loved this recipe and so did everyone I made it for. It made me feel like I could actually cook everyone was obsessed!
Delia says
You need to adjust the size of the baking dish when you increase the recipe by 2x or 3x. The larger size recipes won’t fit into a 2 quart baking dish.
Deborah says
The recipe card will adjust the ingredients, but not the instructions. I wish there was a way for it to do both!
Dakota says
I was extremely excited to try this recipe, and it did not disappoint!
Thomas McGarry says
GREAT RECIPE. I DID TWEAK IT A BIT. I USE ABOUT 1 LB BEEF AND PUT RICCOTA CHEESE IN THE MIDDLE. YUMMY