Italian-American
Baked Mostaccioli
Mostaccioli, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, and ground beef bake together at 375°F. It is a standard pasta casserole, rich from the cheese, and the noodles can go soft if they start fully cooked.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Tube pasta holds the meat sauce better than long noodles in a bake.
- Ricotta stays creamy in the center while mozzarella browns on top.
- A short simmer thickens the marinara so the pan does not go watery.
- 375°F browns the cheese without drying the pasta at the edge.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F and boil the mostaccioli in salted water until it is just shy of tender, then drain it.
- 2
Warm the oil in a skillet and cook the beef and diced onion over medium heat until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F.
- 3
Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning until the garlic smells fragrant.
- 4
Add the marinara and simmer until the sauce looks thick and clings to the meat.
- 5
Stir the ricotta with half the mozzarella, the Parmesan, salt, and pepper, then fold the pasta and meat sauce in a baking dish and dollop the ricotta over the top.
- 6
Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella and bake at 375°F until the cheese is bubbling and browned in spots.
Pro tips
- Stop the pasta a minute early; it finishes in the oven and turns mushy if it starts fully soft.
- Salt the ricotta or the middle of the pan tastes flat next to the sauce.
- Leave the ricotta in patches if you want creamy pockets instead of stirring it all through.
Easy substitutions
- Mostaccioli
- Penne
- Ricotta cheese
- Cottage cheese
- Ground beef
- Italian sausage
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 350°F until the center is hot and the cheese loosens.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 680
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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