My Famous Baked Mostaccioli Recipes

MY FAMOUS 'BAKED' MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Cook mostaccioli noodles according to box directions, drain and set aside.
• Place Italian sausage links in a large, deep skillet and add enough water to go half way up sides of sausage links and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Simmer until cooked through and water is almost evaporated (about 25-30 minutes).
• While the sausage links are simmering, in a large bowl combine the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, picante sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Adjust seasonings to your preferred taste.
• When all water is evaporated and links are cooked though, brown on all sides in the remaining oil in the skillet (adding more if needed). Once browned, remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add ground beef, onion and bell pepper to the same skillet and brown the meat until just barely pink (do not over cook the beef). Drain any excess grease from the skillet with a large spoon while leaving the beef and veggies in there.
• Slice the Italian sausage links into 1/4" thick slices and add back to the skillet.
• Add the spaghetti sauce mixture to the skillet and gently simmer 30 minutes to blend the ingredients and flavors.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 375*F.
• Pour the mostaccioli noodles into a large, deep aluminum baking pan (I use the big, deep rectangle, disposable ones because I don't want to wash the pan, and I'm usually asked to bring this dish to get-togethers).
• Sprinkle half (1 pound) of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the noodles. Pour the meat and sauce from skillet over the cheese. Gently mix until all noodles are coated and cheese is incorporated thoroughly. Smooth top surface and evenly sprinkle on remaining cheese.
• *Note: I've also used a couple of the smaller disposable pans and only bake one, while the other one I cover and freeze (without baking), to make later in the month (just thaw a bit before baking, stir, adding a touch of water if needed, then add final topping of cheese, bake).
• Bake uncoverd on center rack for 45 minutes.
• Serve with garlic toast, salad and Italian dressing. Enjoy!

EASY BAKED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 pan.
• Cook pasta according to package directions in salted water until al dente. Do not overcook.
• Meanwhile, in a large saucepan brown ground beef, onion, and garlic until no pink remains. Drain any fat.
• Stir in marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until thickened.
• Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Add half of the cooked pasta and top with half of the remaining sauce.
• Add remaining pasta, top with remaining sauce and cheeses.
• Bake 25-30 minutes or until hot and the cheese is lightly browned.

EASY BAKED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni pasta in salted water according to package directions; drain.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef until cooked through. Drain.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet with ground beef. Cook until onion is just tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes with their juice, Italian seasoning, and salt; stir to combine. Heat through until mixture just begins to bubble.
• Remove from heat. Add cooked rigatoni pasta and stir to combine until pasta is coated with sauce.
• Layer half the pasta mixture in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Top with half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• Spoon remaining pasta mixture on top of the cheese to create a second layer. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melty. Let stand about 5-10 minutes before serving.
• You can substitute penne or ziti pasta for the rigatoni, if you'd like. Pretty much any other kind of pasta will work, too.
• Substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef if you'd like. Or, use a combination of the two -- it's great either way.
• For the best melty cheesy result, shred your own cheeses.

EASY BAKED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook mostaccioli in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir ground beef until browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain and discard grease. Add spaghetti sauce to the pan and mix with the beef.
• Transfer beef mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread evenly over the bottom and layer cooked pasta over top. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 10 more minutes.

BAKED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• 1. To make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, garlic, salt to taste, and the pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned. Set aside.
• 2. Heat the rest of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring a bit, until soft. Stir in all of the tomato products. Fill the tomato puree can with hot water, and stir in the beef and chicken base to dissolve. Add the mixture to the saucepan along with the Parmesan, steak seasoning, garlic salt, basil, and parsley, and bring to a simmer.
• 3. Add the beef to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt, if necessary.
• 4. To make the baked pasta: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.
• 5. Toss the cooked pasta with 2 cups of the meat sauce and 11/2 cups each of the mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Mound the mixture in the pie dish and top with the rest of the meat sauce and the mozzarella and Cheddar. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet, and bake until bubbling and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Top with the Parmesan cheese and serve hot.