Baked Mostaccioli

When you’re craving pasta, make this substantial baked mostaccioli meal. It has soft pasta, seasoned ground beef, marinara sauce, chopped tomatoes, heavy cream, and two types of cheese.

For a filling supper, serve this cozy baked mostaccioli with garlic bread and a fresh garden salad.

What is Mostaccioli?

Mostaccioli is a tubular pasta with a form similar to penne. The key distinction is that mostaccioli is smooth, while penne contains little ridges. Mostaccioli is also known as silky penne or penne lisce in Italy. Mostaccioli is often used in soups and salads in addition to casseroles.

Ingredients You’ll Need

If you don’t have mostaccioli, normal penne or any other medium-sized tubular pasta will suffice.
Marinara sauce: Marinara sauce adds a delightful depth of flavor to this meal by being seasoned with garlic, basil, and crushed red pepper. If you don’t have marinara sauce, ordinary tomato sauce will suffice. To give the tomato sauce extra flavor, add a little more fresh garlic and Italian spice.
Meat: This recipe calls for ground beef, but Italian sausage would also be wonderful! Ground turkey or chicken are also excellent choices.
Shredded mozzarella and parmesan provide additional cheesiness to this meal.

(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)

How to Make Baked Mostaccioli

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 913 pan.
Cook the pasta until al dente according to package specifications. Make sure not to overcook it.
In a large pot, brown the ground beef, garlic, and onion until no pink remains. Remove any excess fat.
Combine the marinara sauce, chopped tomatoes, sugar, Italian spice, and water in a mixing bowl. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
1 cup of the prepared sauce should be spread in the bottom of the buttered pan. Top with half of the leftover sauce and half of the cooked pasta.
Add the remaining pasta and sauce, then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake the cheese for 25-30 minutes, or until it is bubbling and gently browned.

Tips and Tricks

Don’t overcook the pasta since it will finish cooking in the oven. The pasta should be al dente but not mushy.
Place the dish in the broiler for a few minutes to get a somewhat crisp, bubbly, and brown top. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Can I Make Mostaccioli Ahead of Time?

Yes, this dish may be cooked up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated. Increase the cooking time to 45 minutes when ready to bake. You may also put the casserole in a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost it in the fridge overnight before baking as directed.

Variations

Ground beef may be substituted with Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
To make a vegetarian version, use zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, spinach, green beans, or squash for the ground beef.
Add ricotta cheese to make it even more cheesy.

What Is The Difference Between Baked Ziti And Mostaccioli?

The dishes are almost identical. The primary distinction is the kind of pasta used.

Is Penne And Mostaccioli The Same?

Penne and mostaccioli are both dry, tubular-shaped pastas. The key distinction is that mostaccioli is smooth, while penne has ridges.

Baked Mostaccioli Recipe

Make this hearty baked mostaccioli dish the next time you’re craving pasta. It’s a delicious combination of tender pasta, seasoned ground beef, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, heavy cream, and two kinds of cheese.

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Servings:

Ingredients

12ouncesmostaccioli pasta
1poundlean ground beef
3teaspoonsgarlicminced
1large oniondiced
28ouncesmarinara sauce
14ouncestomatoesdiced
1teaspoonsugar
1 teaspoonsItalian seasoning
cupwater
1cupheavy cream
cupshredded parmesan cheese
2cupsshredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 913 pan.
Cook the pasta until al dente according to package specifications. Make sure not to overcook it.
In a large pot, brown the ground beef, garlic, and onion until no pink remains. Remove any excess fat.
Combine the marinara sauce, chopped tomatoes, sugar, Italian spice, and water in a mixing bowl. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and continue to cook for 5 minutes, or until thickened.
1 cup of the prepared sauce should be spread in the bottom of the buttered pan. Top with half of the leftover sauce and half of the cooked pasta.
Add the remaining pasta and sauce, then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake the cheese for 25-30 minutes, or until it is bubbling and gently browned.

FAQs

What’s the difference between baked mostaccioli and mostaccioli?

The key difference between the two meals is that mostaccioli utilizes mostaccioli pasta rather than ziti. Both meals are made using pasta that has been mixed in red sauce, topped with cheese, then baked until browned.

Is baked mostaccioli a Chicago thing?

Mostaccioli is similar to penne, but if you want to do it the Chicago way, mostaccioli is the way to go! Every mother and grandmother in Chicago has her unique recipe for mostaccioli. This quick and simple mostaccioli pasta dish recipe calls for Italian sausage and ground meat.

Do you bake pasta covered or uncovered?

To minimize moisture loss, baked pastas should be cooked covered for the first 20 minutes. If you cover it with cheese and then remove the lid, all of the cheese will fall off. So, after 20 minutes of baking with foil, remove the foil, sprinkle with cheese, and continue baking according to the recipe directions.

What is the difference between mostaccioli and ziti?

Mostaccioli is an angled pasta, while ziti is a tube-shaped pasta with a square-angle cut. Ziti noodles are bigger than mostaccioli noodles, but they have the same silky feel. Baked ziti is the most popular usage for ziti.

How do you keep baked mostaccioli from drying out?

Cover the mostaccioli with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking. This will keep the dish from burning or drying out. The ricotta sauce and combination also keep the noodles from drying out.

What to eat with baked mostaccioli?

🥦 Vegetables and Sides
Asparagus casserole with Ritz crackers.
Baked zucchini.
Broccoli with lemon juice.
Caprese salad.
Fresh greens salad with cherry tomatoes and bell pepper.
Green bean casserole.
Haricots verts.
Italian green bean salad.

What is Chicago’s famous dish?

1. Pizza with a deep dish. You can’t discuss Chicago food without mentioning deep-dish pizza. Although thin crust pizza has its place in Chicago, deep-dish pizza has practically become associated with the city.

Do Italians eat baked spaghetti?

Baked pasta, or pasta al forno, was eventually accepted across Italy. Baked spaghetti is now a popular dish in Southern Italy, where it is often served on Sundays, festivals, and special events.

Do Italians eat baked ziti?

While Baked Ziti is an Italian American meal, it has Italian roots – pasta bakes like this have been around for generations in Italy!

Why should we not rinse pasta after it is drained?

However, do not rinse the pasta. The starch in the water is what makes the sauce stick to the pasta. Rinsing pasta cools it and prevents sauce absorption. The only time you should rinse your pasta is if you’re making a cold meal like spaghetti salad.

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