Pasta With Cheesy Meat Sauce Recipes

ONE SKILLET CHEESY PENNE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick, oven proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add meat and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add onions and carrots and cook until meat is browned.
• Add bell pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken bouillon, sugar, and all seasonings and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• After 10 minutes, stir in the water and pasta. Cover, increase heat to medium-high and cook at a vigorous simmer (you may need to decrease heat), stirring occasionally and replacing lid, just until the pasta is al dente, 12-16 minutes. Taste pasta often as reaches the end of cooking to ensure you don't overcook your pasta.
• Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and cheddar until well combined. Top the pasta evenly with mozzarella. Transfer the skillet to the oven (on the middle rack) and broil until the cheese is melted and golden, 2-3 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
• This makes wonderful leftovers - I think the flavors are even better the next day!

CHEESY BEEF AND PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray; set aside.
• Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
• While the pasta is cooking, to a large Dutch oven, optionally add the olive oil (my beef was very lean and the oil was necessary), beef, onion, red pepper, and cook over medium-high heat until beef is cooked through and vegetables have softened; stir frequently and crumble the beef while it cooks; do not drain.
• Add the garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
• Add the cooked pasta to the beef mixture, add the marinara, and stir to combine and coat evenly.
• Add 1 1/2 cups cheese and stir to combine until the cheese has melted.
• Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and evenly sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese over the top.
• Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted on top.
• Optionally garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.

PENNE WITH CHEESY MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook penne until done; rinse and drain.
• Meanwhile, brown ground beef in large skillet; remove from pan and drain. In same skillet, sauté garlic (and mush rooms) in olive oil. Return meat to skillet with mush rooms over low heat; add tomato sauce, pepper, and basil.
• Dissolve cornstarch in 3 tablespoons milk; mix in remaining milk. Add to meat and stir over low heat until slightly thickened. Add processed cheese slices and stir until melted. Toss with hot pasta. Sprinkle generously with parmesan.
• You can replace the penne with fusilli or elbow macaroni. Use just about any kind of cheese you want. Tex mex worked very well.

BEST CHEESE SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half-and-half, Cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is smooth, about 5 minutes. Keep warm until serving.