Pasta Bolognese Bake is the perfect take on a classic dinner. Your family will be asking for seconds and thirds of this delicious dish. It truly is the best recipe for everyone to enjoy any night of the week.
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This recipe for Pasta Bolognese Bake is so delicious without being overly complicated. You could even make this sauce ahead of time and use it through the week. To learn more and to see traditional Ragu alla Bolognese recipe, check out Recipes From Italy for more information.
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What We Love About This Pasta Bolognese Bake Recipe
- Family Friendly: This makes for the best bolognese pasta bake recipe to enjoy with your family for a sit down meal!
- Adaptable: You can switch up the type meat you use. To make it meatless you could even use a substitute like impossible or beyond ground meat.
- Makes Great Leftovers: This baked bolognese is just as tasty to enjoy the next day as was when it was fresh.
Ingredient Notes for Bolognese Baked Pasta
- Pasta: I use rigatoni pasta for this bolognese pasta bake, you use another shape such as penne, rotini, ziti, or bowties.
- Ground Meat: You can use ground meat of your choosing. Ground beef, turkey, chicken, or pork will all work and be equally delicious in this recipe.
- Crushed Tomatoes: One can of crushed tomatoes will be need for this bolognese baked pasta. Chopped tomatoes work well too.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: You will need freshly grated parmigiana Reggiano cheese. It is keep you use fresh for this recipe.
- Romano Cheese: You will also need freshly grated Romano cheese. If you cant get it, you can just use more parmesan cheese. Mozzarella cheese is great for this bake too.
- Parsley: Fresh or dried parsley will work in this baked Bolognese pasta.
- Roasted Garlic Paste: Freshly made roasted garlic paste or store bought tube roasted garlic paste will both work for this recipe.
- Celery: For this recipe, you will need less than a stock of celery to dice up.
- Carrots: You will need about a cup of of chopped and diced carrots.
- Onion: A white or yellow onion will work best for this recipe.
Equipment Needed
- 13″x9″ Dish
- Skillet
- Wooden Spoon
- Cheese Grater
- Knife
- Cutting Board
How to Make Bolognese Baked Pasta
These are the basic steps for making Bolognese Pasta Bake. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and nutrition information.
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STEP 1: PREPPING
First preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare a 13″x9″ dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Mince up onions, carrots, and celery.
STEP 2: MAKE BOLOGNESE SAUCE
In a skillet over medium high heat, cook ground meat along with onion, and celery, carrots. Pour out any excess liquid, then add in garlic, salt, pepper, and crushed tomatoes. While you are in the midst of cooking your sauce, you also want to boil your pasta in salted water.
STEP 3: ASSEMBLE BOLOGNESE BAKE
When you pasta is done, drain and mix with bolognese meat sauce and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Stir and once well combined, add to prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese, parsley, and oregano.
STEP 4: COOK THE PASTA BAKE
Now add the pasta bolognese bake to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the the cheese is melted and starting to get golden brown and bubbling. Serve and enjoy!
Prep and Storage Tips
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME
To make this recipe ahead of time, you ca make the bolognese meat sauce 1-3 days prior and store in the once. Once you are ready to make this bolognese baked pasta, boil pasta and combine with sauce and bake.
HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE
This recipe will be best stored in the fridge in an air tight container for 3-4 days.
HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE
You could freeze this recipe by adding to a freezer friendly aluminum tray. If you are freezing do not bake prior.
HOW TO REHEAT THIS RECIPE
For quick and easy reheating you can heat up in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes until hot. You can also reheat in the oven in an oven safe dish for 7-10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
This bolognese baked pasta will be good in the fridge for 3-4 days in the fridge.
A simple hack to avid this problem entirely, would be to stop cooking your pasta about 2-3 minutes earlier so its slightly undercooked and will continues to absorbs the flavorful juice from the bolognese sauce.
Yes, this recipe can very easily be doubled or halved, just increase or decrease ingredients proportionally and either split between 2 baking dishes or use a smaller baking dish.
For this bolognese baked pasta recipe, you will want to boil you pasta before hand.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- This Baked Bolognese Pasta Recipe Can be Doubled: If you are making this recipe for large crowd, you can double the ingredients proportionally and split between 2 baking dishes.
- Instant Pot: You could use an instant pot to make the Bolognese sauce for this recipe.
- Meatless Monday: To make this a meatless Monday friendly meal, you can replace the ground meat with a meat-free substitute such as impossible or beyond meat.
- Fresh Herbs: Top bolognese pasta bake recipe with your favorite fresh herbs.
- Mushrooms: Cloves of garlic and mushroom can add real flavor to this mixture.
What to Serve with Bolognese Pasta Bake
- Garlic Herb Rolls
- Easy Rustic Garlic Bread
- Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
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Pasta Bolongnese Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb pasta
- 1 lb ground meat
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- 1 cup fresh grated romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons parsley, divided
- 1 tablespoon roasted garlic paste
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup onion, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees and prepare a 13×9 dish with nonstick spray.
- In a skillet cook the ground meat with onion, celery, and carrots then drain.
- Stir in garlic, 1 teaspoon parsley, salt & pepper, and tomatoes – simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Cook pasta, drain, and add to sauce.
- Stir in ½ cup of each cheese and spoon pasta mix into prepared baking dish.
- Top with remaining cheese and parsley.
- Bake 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- This Recipe Can be Doubled: If you are making this recipe for large crowd, you can double the ingredients proportionally and split between 2 baking dishes.
- Instant Pot: You could use an instant pot to make the bolognese sauce for this recipe.
- Meatless Monday: To make this a meatless Monday friendly meal, you can replace the ground meat with a meat-free substitute such as impossible or beyond meat.
Estimated Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe. I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible for the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.
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