Baked Penne Pasta With Ground Beef
This comforting baked penne blends savory browned ground beef, sautéed peppers and onions, and a rich tomato sauce with creamy Philadelphia Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme and melted mozzarella for a cheesy, family-friendly casserole that's quick to assemble and bakes to bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
- 0.5 pound extra lean ground beef
- 0.5 cup onion chopped
- 0.5 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 1 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 10 ounce tub PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese and Herb Cooking Creme divided
- 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 3 cups hot cooked penne pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, chopped onion, and chopped green pepper; cook while breaking the beef into small pieces until the meat is browned and the vegetables are softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess fat if desired.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce, 3/4 cup of the cooking creme, and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Continue to cook and stir until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is well combined, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Fold the hot cooked penne into the meat sauce until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Spoon the pasta mixture into a 2‑quart casserole dish. Spread the remaining cooking creme over the top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake covered in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5 minutes, until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is bubbly. Let rest briefly before serving.