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Beef · Pasta

Creamy Rosa Beef Pasta Bake

A rich, tomato-cream pasta bake with ground beef, sautéed onion, tomatoes, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Serve with Parmesan green beans.

Yield
Serves 5–6
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
20–25 minutes

From Rudy’s notebook

recipes.rudyr.com/recipes/creamy-rosa-beef-pasta-bake

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Ingredients

Serves 5–6

Pasta Bake

  • 1 lbground beef
  • 12 ozpasta (penne, rigatoni, rotini, ziti, or shells)
  • 1 jarcreamy rosa pasta sauce (about 20--24 oz)
  • 1/2 mediumonion, finely diced
  • 1 cupfresh tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cupheavy cream, as needed
  • 1--2 tbsp tomato paste (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 1/2 cupsshredded mozzarella, divided
  • 1/2 cupgrated Parmesan, divided
  • 1/2 tspgarlic powder
  • 1/2 tsponion powder
  • 1/2 tspItalian seasoning (optional)
  • 1/2 tspsalt, plus more for pasta water
  • 1/4 tspblack pepper
  • Up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water, as needed
  • 1--2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional garnish)

Parmesan Green Beans

  • 12--16 oz green beans
  • 1 tbspbutter or olive oil
  • 1/4 tspgarlic powder
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2--3 tbsp grated Parmesan

Method

Prepare the Pasta

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

    Temperature: 375°F

  2. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

  3. Cook pasta about 2 minutes less than the package directions so it remains slightly firm.

    Time: 2 minutes

  4. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.

Brown the Beef and Onion

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

  2. Add the ground beef and diced onion.

  3. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.

  4. Cook for 7--9 minutes, breaking the beef into small pieces, until browned and the onion is softened.

    Time: 9 minutes

  5. Drain excess grease if necessary.

Build the Rosa Sauce

  1. Reduce heat to medium.

  2. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute.

    Time: 1 minute

  3. Add the creamy rosa sauce, chopped tomatoes, and 1/4 cup heavy cream.

  4. Simmer gently for 3--5 minutes.

    Time: 5 minutes

  5. Taste and add more heavy cream if you want a richer, milder sauce.

  6. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time.

Assemble

  1. Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss until evenly coated.

  2. Stir in 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

  3. Transfer to a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

  4. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Bake

  1. Bake uncovered for 20--25 minutes, until bubbling and the cheese is melted.

    Time: 25 minutes

  2. For extra browning, broil for 1--2 minutes at the end, watching closely.

    Time: 2 minutes

  3. Rest for 5--10 minutes before serving.

    Time: 10 minutes

  4. If desired, sprinkle a small amount of fresh cilantro over individual servings. Cilantro is optional here because the Italian-style rosa flavors work well without it.

Parmesan Green Beans

  1. If using fresh green beans, boil for 4--5 minutes. For frozen, cook 3--4 minutes. If canned, drain and skip boiling.

    Time: 5 minutesTime: 4 minutes

  2. Drain well.

  3. Heat butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

  4. Add green beans, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sauté for 3--5 minutes.

    Time: 5 minutes

  5. Remove from heat and toss with Parmesan.

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Cook’s notes

  • If you run short on creamy rosa sauce, combine: - 1 1/2 cups marinara or tomato sauce - 1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream - 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • The medium salsa roja is not a direct substitute for the creamy rosa sauce; it would change this into a Mexican-inspired pasta.

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Kept in Rudy’s notebook.

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