An Easy Weeknight Dinner for Busy Moms
The simple preparation of this Baked Pasta makes for a perfect and easy weeknight family dinner! The cheesy deliciousness will make it a family favorite and even the pickiest eaters will ask for seconds.
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I am always looking for healthy, home-cooked meals that are easy to prepare for my family. With hectic work and extra-curricular activity schedules, it is no easy feat. When you throw in hard to please, picky eaters it can be close to impossible. This easy, cheesy baked pasta is a family favorite, making it a go-to weeknight meal. If by chance you have leftovers, this dish freezes well for nights when you don’t have time to make something from scratch.
This dish is versatile, mixing up the main ingredients to your liking is easy. I prefer to use lean ground turkey meat versus ground beef for my family, however you can change the protein source to beef, ground chicken, or sausage.
When making this for the family, I select a kid friendly sauce option, typically a 4 cheese tomato sauce. Choose different sauce, such as Alfredo or vodka sauce for even more variety. I prefer to make this recipe with medium size shells. This pasta shape holds sauce and all the cheesy goodness better than Ziti or Penne in my opinion. Choose your favorite pasta shape to make this your own. Same easy recipe with so many possible variations!
Easy, Cheesy Baked Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Lean Ground Turkey
- 16 Ounces Medium Shells Pasta
- 24 Ounce Jar of Tomato Sauce
- 4 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by lightly greasing with olive oil.
- Boil water in a large pot and cook pasta to preferred firmness.
- While pasta is cooking, brown meat in a skillet.
- Once meat is cooked thoroughly, add tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese and mix. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Drain pasta and combine with meat sauce. Add half a cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and mix.
- Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is slightly brown at edges.
- Serve with your favorite garlic bread.
Using an iron skillet is best for this recipe, it provides more even temperature while cooking and can introduce iron into your food as an added nutrient. Check out iron skillets to up your game in the kitchen!
This cheesy pasta bake is certain to please your whole family. The simple prep and versatility of this meal will make it an easy weeknight dinner you will enjoy again and again!
Eat well. Be happy!
