A comforting dish with tender penne, savory beef, rich tomato sauce, and bubbly cheese topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 14 oz penne pasta
→ Meats
02 - 1.1 lb ground beef
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
05 - 24 oz tomato passata or marinara sauce
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, thyme)
08 - ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Dairy
10 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
11 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Oils
12 - 2 tbsp olive oil
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
02 - Boil penne pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until soft, about 3–4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Add ground beef to skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned and fully cooked, 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat as needed.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Pour in tomato passata, add Italian herbs, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - Add cooked penne to skillet and stir thoroughly to coat pasta with sauce and beef mixture.
07 - Transfer half of pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Add remaining pasta mixture, then top with remaining cheeses.
08 - Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling.
09 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to settle.
