Mostaccioli – A Beautiful Mess

Mostaccioli is similar in shape to penne, but smoother. This hearty pasta comes in thick, heavy tubes with angled ends and is perfect for rich meat sauces and pasta bakes.

This baked mostacholi recipe is simple, easy to make, and delicious! This recipe is portable and can be frozen or reheated as needed. If you’re looking for a dish to bring to a friend’s house, try making this mostacholi recipe – it’s a crowd pleaser!

Related: Baked ziti, manicotti, no-boil lasagna, spaghetti bolognese.

material

• Mostachori noodles
• Ground beef
• shallot
• Garlic
• Marinara sauce
• Water – Pasta water is great
• Italian seasoning
• Half and Half Cream
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Top with parsley or basil (optional)

direction

Cook the noodles al dente according to package directions. Do not overcook as the noodles will continue to cook during baking. Once cooked, drain the pasta and reserve 1/4 cup of the water.

While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce: Sauté the ground beef, shallots, and garlic in a large pot until the beef is cooked through (no pink left). Unless you use very lean ground beef, you probably won’t need to add any oil or butter, as you’ll be using the fat from the beef to sauté the onion and garlic.

Add the marinara sauce to the skillet. Add the pasta water to the jar of marinara sauce, close the lid, shake well, and pour this into the skillet. Add the Italian seasoning and cream.

Place the noodles in a 9×13 baking dish, or a dish of approximately the same size. Next, pour 2/3 of the sauce and cheese into the pan as well and mix well. Place the remaining cheese on top of the dish and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Sprinkle some chopped parsley or basil on top of the pasta bake, if using. Serve warm.

Tips and Alternatives

• If you prefer, you can use other ground meats such as Italian sausage, turkey or chicken instead of the ground beef. The nutritional information in the recipe card below is based on using ground beef.
• If you want to freeze your dish before baking, allow it to cool before freezing. When you’re ready to eat, simply thaw and bake according to the recipe.
• If you can’t find mostacholi noodles, you could also substitute ziti, penne, or bowtie noodles instead.

Presentation suggestions

This hearty grilled meat sauce pasta dish pairs well with salads and vegetable side dishes.