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Square overhead shot of a hand serving an Italian ground beef casserole with a serving spoon.
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5 from 4 votes

Italian Ground Beef Casserole

A classic Italian casserole that's loaded with hearty ground beef, pasta, and cheese!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Italian casserole, Italian ground beef casserole
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 628kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 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
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 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

Instructions

  • 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.
    Boiled penne pasta draining in a colander.
  • While the pasta cooks, brown the ground 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 the excess fat. Stir in the marinara, diced tomatoes with their juices, Italian seasoning, and sugar.
    Cooking the ground beef for an Italian casserole in a Dutch oven.
  • Add the cooked, drained pasta to the beef mixture. Taste and season with kosher salt and ground black pepper. If you'd like the mixture "saucier," stir in some (or all) of the remaining marinara sauce that's left in the jar. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.
    Sprinkling cheese on top of a pasta bake.
  • Microwave the butter in a medium microwaveable bowl on high until melted, about 25 seconds. Stir in the panko and Parmesan until fully coated; sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
    Adding the seasoned garlic breadcrumbs to the top of an Italian casserole before baking.
  • Bake, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the inside of the casserole is heated through.
    Square overhead shot of a white square baking dish full of Italian ground beef casserole.

Notes

You'll need at least 12 ounces (or half of a 24-ounce jar) of marinara sauce. That said, if you'd like to your casserole "saucier," feel free to use the entire jar!
Just about any short pasta shape will work, such as penne, mini penne, ziti, fusilli, bowties (farfalle), or elbows.
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the casserole | Calories: 628kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 881mg | Potassium: 1011mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 731IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 266mg | Iron: 5mg