Italian Ground Beef Casserole

5 from 1 vote

This easy Italian ground beef casserole with noodles, marinara sauce, cheese, and crispy, flavorful seasoned breadcrumbs is pure comfort food!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword ground beef casserole, ground beef casserole with noodles, Pasta Bake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings - 5 people

Calories 628kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

8 ounces (about 1 ½ - 1 ¾ cups) uncooked penne pasta (or other short pasta shape, such as mini penne, elbows, bowties, or fusilli)
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup diced onion (about 1 small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
12 ounces marinara sauce (about half of a 24-ounce jar, about 1 ⅓ cups)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, not drained
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¾ cup shredded Italian 5-cheese blend
1 tablespoon salted butter
⅓ cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-quart baking dish; set aside.
In a large pot of well-salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions for 1 minute less than al dente. Drain.
While the pasta cooks, brown the beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 1 more minute. Drain off excess fat.
Stir in marinara, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning.
Add the cooked, drained pasta to the beef mixture. Taste and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
Microwave the butter in a medium microwaveable bowl on high until melted, about 25 seconds. Stir in panko and Parmesan until fully coated; sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the inside of the casserole is heated through.

Just about any short pasta shape will work, such as penne, mini penne, ziti, fusilli, bowties (farfalle), or elbows.
I like the extra flavor that you get with the Italian 5 cheese blend, but you can substitute with shredded mozzarella.
Omit the breadcrumb topping if you don't want to fuss with it (although it does add great flavor and texture).
Swap out the ground beef and use ground turkey or Italian sausage.
If using regular diced tomatoes rather than the diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, I recommend seasoning the sauce with additional Italian seasoning, garlic powder, or herbs.
Make it spicy by adding a dash of cayenne or finishing the dish with crushed red pepper flakes.
Salt the pasta cooking water liberally, since this is your chance to season the noodles.
Cook the pasta for about 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente. They will continue cooking in the oven, and you don't want to end up with mushy, gummy, overdone noodles in your dish.
Taste the pasta mixture and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper before baking the dish.
Add fresh flavor and bright color to the finished casserole by sprinkling fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme, or oregano over the top just before serving.