We love freezer-friendly meals that can be made in advance, especially when they use simple ingredients that are easy to put together. While many make-ahead meals fit the bill, the great thing about baked pastas like this one is that they have the great flavors of your favorite Italian recipes, but only take a fraction of the time to make. No need to simmer a bolognese sauce for hours on end.

This Italian pasta bake recipe calls for ground beef, pasta shells, canned tomatoes and a few other ingredients, but can be easily swapped out to customize the dish. No matter if you prepare it for a weeknight dinner, potluck or contribution to a meal train, this pasta casserole recipe should be penciled into your meal plan ASAP.

Ingredients for Pasta Bake

• Ground beef: We’d recommend using lean ground beef in this recipe. Since ground beef is such a versatile ingredient, it’s always great to have some on hand.
• Spaghetti sauce: Use your favorite spaghetti sauce in this recipe. If you don’t have one, try one of our Test Kitchen’s favorite jarred pasta sauce brands. Or, if you have the time, you could always make marinara sauce from scratch.
• Mushrooms: This recipe calls for canned mushrooms, but if you prefer to use fresh, sauté them first in a little olive oil until they are lightly browned. Doing so both concentrates the savory flavor of the ‘shrooms, and also helps to remove any excess moisture.
• Pasta shells: Use medium-sized shells (like mezzo conchiglie) for this recipe. The scooped shape of the shells makes a perfect nest for the meat, sauce and cheese, making each bite flavorful. Tube-shaped pasta shapes such as ziti, penne or rigatoni would also work well in this recipe.
• Cheese: You can’t have a pasta bake without cheese. This recipe uses two Italian regulars: provolone and mozzarella. Pre-packaged shredded cheese is just fine to use, but for the best flavor and even melting, shred the cheese yourself. Pre-packaged shredded cheeses have cellulose, which prevents the cheese from clumping together in the bag. If you choose to shred the cheese yourself, make sure to grab a low-moisture brick of mozzarella rather than fresh mozza.

Taste of Home