Hey girl, today let’s chat about how you can make easy baked penne and please everyone at your table!
Girl, if you are looking for a crowd-pleasing pasta dish that does not break the bank – this is it – Easy Baked Penne! And when I say easy, it is so EASY!
As a mom of 4, we are just getting started on those teenage years, and it is my job to come up with recipes that are nutritious, filling, and if I am lucky - cheap. And this recipe checks off all those boxes. No one leaves my table hungry when I make this.
Let me tell you girl, this Easy Baked Penne is fantastic for quick weeknight meals, potluck ideas, game day food, Sunday family dinner ideas, and so much more.
And even your pickiest eater will want seconds of this Easy Baked Penne dish. Yep, I have one of those at my house and this is one of his favorite meals.
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get in the kitchen and whip up this delicious Easy Baked Penne that will be gone in the blink of an eye!
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Best Easy Baked Penne
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Kitchen Supplies
First, we’ll go over all the kitchen items you need to help you make this mouth-watering pasta dish.
A normal 9x13 inch pan will work but it will be filled to the brim. This baking dish holds the baked penne better!
Easy Baked Penne Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage
- 2 – 24 oz Jars of Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 – 16 oz Jar of Alfredo Sauce
- 1 Pound of Penne Noodles
- 2 Cups of Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Spray your baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the Penne Noodles according to the directions.
- While the noodles are cooking, start to brown the Italian sausage.
- After the sausage is brown and crumbled up, drain all the excess grease that you can.
- When the noodles are completely cooked, drain the excess water. You want the pasta as dried off as possible so I usually let it sit in the strainer for a few minutes.
- After the noodles are drained and dried, return them to their cooking pot.
- Next, add the cooked Italian sausage, spaghetti sauce, alfredo sauce, and mozzarella cheese to the noodles. Mix it all up until the noodles are thoroughly covered.
- Transfer all of this goodness to the greased baking dish.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Spray the side that will be next to the noodles with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent any cheesy noodles from sticking to it.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. I always let it rest for 10 minutes, it sets up better.
Helpful Tips
- You can use ground beef instead of Italian sausage or skip the meat altogether.
- If you think 2 jars of spaghetti sauce is just too much sauce for your liking, you can use one jar instead. I have done this in a pinch and it still turns out great.
- You bet you can make this ahead of time and pop it in the oven when you need to. It can easily be tossed together the night before, stored in the refrigerator, and then baked for the next evening's supper.
- We usually buy another 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on top after we dish it. Some people at my house prefer it a bit cheesier than others.
- My kids like their vegetables on the side, but you can go all out and mix it right into the Baked Penne. I would most likely add frozen corn, peas, or carrots to mine.
- This Easy Baked Penne tastes extra delicious with Garlic Bread, Garlic Toast, Cheesy Garlic Toast, or something else similar. I am such a sucker for garlic toast with my pasta.
This post was all about how you can make the best Easy Baked Penne.
What are your favorite comfort foods? I can never pass up Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. Let me know in the comments below.
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks for stopping by.