The sauce is passata and half a cup of cream simmered together for five minutes, which gives a smooth, orange-toned sauce rather than a chunky red one.
Ground beef browned with onion goes into that sauce, the pasta is folded through, and mozzarella and Parmesan bake on top for 20 minutes.
How to Make It
Oven to 375°F, mostaccioli cooked a little short
Heat the oven to 375°F. Cook the mostaccioli just shy of al dente and drain.
Beef and onion browned to 160°F, garlic added
Brown the ground beef with the onion until the beef reaches 160°F. Drain, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Passata, cream and Italian seasoning simmered
Stir in the passata, cream and Italian seasoning and simmer 5 minutes, until smooth and orange-toned.
Pasta folded in, cheese on top, baked 20 minutes
Fold in the pasta and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the mozzarella and Parmesan and bake 20 minutes, until bubbling and browned in patches. Finish with parsley.
Ingredient Notes
- Mostaccioli
- Twelve ounces. Smooth penne is the stand-in if you cannot find mostaccioli.
- Tomato passata
- Two cups of smooth strained tomato, which is why the sauce has no chunks.
- Ground beef
- One pound, browned with the onion to 160°F.
Four Heats for One Bake
Par-cookJust shy of al dente
Mostaccioli boiled a little short of al dente and drained.
BrownBeef to 160°F
Beef and onion browned together, drained, then garlic for 30 seconds.
Simmer5 minutes
Passata, cream and Italian seasoning simmered into a smooth orange sauce.
Bake375°F for 20 minutes, until bubbling and browned in patches
Pasta folded into the sauce in a baking dish, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan.
Success Tips
- Drain the beef before adding the garlic so the sauce is not oily.
- Stir the cream in fully before simmering so the colour is even.
- Spread the mozzarella to the corners so the whole top browns.
Why This Recipe Works
- Passata is already smooth, so the sauce comes together quickly with no chunks to cook down.
- Cooking the pasta just shy of al dente lets it finish softening in the sauce during the bake.
- Browning the onion with the beef builds flavour in a single pan before the sauce goes in.
- Mozzarella with Parmesan melts and browns in patches over a 20-minute bake.
Serving Ideas
Scoop out of the dish while bubbling, with some of the browned mozzarella on each portion and parsley over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there sausage in it?
No. This bake uses ground beef.
Can I use penne?
Smooth penne is listed as the alternative to mostaccioli.
Is the sauce a marinara?
No. It is passata simmered with cream, so it is smooth and orange rather than chunky and red.
