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Easy to make, Baked Mostaccioli is a weeknight dinner recipe that my family loves! Tender pasta gets tossed in a rich and hearty Italian meat sauce, then crowned with a decadent combination of creamy ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. The first time I made this, I knew it was a winner.
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“Delicious and great! My family really enjoyed it and so did I. Everyone had a second serving and I’m happy for sharing the recipe.” -Krystal
Easy Baked Mostaccioli Recipe
This baked pasta is my go-to Italian comfort dish because it’s quick to prep and always a hit with my family. The pasta turns out perfectly tender, smothered in a rich, hearty meat sauce, and topped with layers of creamy ricotta, nutty Parmesan, and melty mozzarella. With all that cheesy goodness, my kids ask for it again and again—it’s truly a cheese lover’s dream!
If you enjoy baked pasta, my baked spaghetti is made with similar ingredients; the differences are the types of noodles used and the middle layer of creamy ricotta cheese in the mostaccioli.
Mostaccioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. mostaccioli pasta penne or ziti also work
- 1 lb. Italian sausage or use ground beef, pork, chicken, or turkey
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz. marinara sauce (1 jar)
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese store bought or homemade
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ tsp oregano Italian seasoning also works
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- freshly chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Boil mostaccioli noodles to al dente according to package directions, then drain and rinse under cool water. Return the pasta to the empty pot.1 lb. mostaccioli pasta
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage, onion, and garlic until cooked through.1 lb. Italian sausage, ½ cup diced onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the marinara sauce and stir, simmering for 3-4 minutes.24 oz. marinara sauce
- Pour the meat sauce into the pot of pasta and mix well.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, oregano, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.15 oz. ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ½ tsp oregano, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Place half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the ricotta mixture evenly across the pasta, then top with the remaining pasta mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and serve.freshly chopped parsley
Becky’s Tips
- Turn this into a vegetarian-friendly mostaccioli by skipping the meat or using a plant-based meat crumble.
- Try adding some crushed red pepper flakes to the meat sauce to add a little spice.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Baked Mostaccioli Step by Step
Get the oven going and prepare the baking dish: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook the mostaccioli: Boil 1 pound of mostaccioli noodles to al dente according to package directions, drain and rinse under cool water, and place them back in the empty pot.
Cook the meat: Over medium-high heat, in a large skillet, brown 1 lb. of Italian sausage, ½ cup diced onion, and 3 garlic cloves until cooked through.
Make the sauce: Add 24 oz. of marinara sauce and stir, and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add to the pasta: Pour the meat sauce into the pot of pasta and mix well.
Prepare the cheese mixture: Combine the egg, 15 oz. of ricotta cheese, ½ tsp oregano, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese in a large bowl and mix well.
Transfer the pasta mixture: Place half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Add the cheese layer: Spread the ricotta mixture so that it covers the pasta, then top with the pasta mixture. Cover the top with the remaining cheeses.
Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover: Remove the aluminum foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Garnish and serve: Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and serve.
Storage
To store leftovers, place pasta in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator up to 4 days. To freeze, let the baked pasta cool to room temperature, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers. Keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
To make this ahead of time, make the recipe through step 8, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake it, pop it in the oven and bake accordingly. It might need a couple of extra minutes in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
I find this can easily be served as a full meal on its own, but when I need an extra side or two, I love to serve it with our Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks and chicken Caesar salad. When I find it’s a night where we need some veggies, I’ll quickly roast vegetables in the air fryer or make cheesy roasted zucchini.
Really love the recipe- I used cottage chs small curd- instead of ricotta- personal choice, also by layering I also added fresh cauliflower sliced into flat pieces.
Is there any way to leave out the ricotta cheese? My husband grew up with an Italian family who cooked for him and he has fond memories of the mostaccioli but he HATES ricotta cheese and said they definitely did not use ricotta cheese.
Hi Cindy, It adds creaminess and helps keep the noodles from drying out. You can try without it, but might get different results.
I made this for 40 high school football players as part of their pre-game meal and it was a hit!!! We do have a couple vegetarian players i have learned. How would I make it vegetarian? I have zucchini. What else should I use? I know to dice the zucchini buy how should I cook it?
Hi Michelle, we usually make this with vegetarian meat crumbles, but zucchini should work well. Just sauté until nice and golden brown!
Thank you! I was thinking also maybe Bell Peppers?
You could definitely add those!
Can i make this ahead and freeze it? If so, How long do I bake when it comes from the freezer?
Yes, bake from frozen for 45-60 minutes, or until fully thawed and warmed through!
I am a Dutchman married for 14 years to an American. Her grandmother used to make mostaccioli for the whole family for Christmas every year, until she passed away…
Today I made mostaccioli for my wife. It’s a huge comfort food for her, and it came out amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
What a beautiful story! Your wife is very lucky!!
Great recipe and easy to follow!! We like ours a little saucier and 24 oz of marinara wasn’t quite enough to our liking, but again, just a personal preference! I used fresh mozzarella slices for the first bake, but my husband likes extra cheesy, so I added shredded mozzarella to the top for the second 10 minutes uncovered. Literally perfect!
I also add an extra 24 oz of marinara, I also don’t put very much cheese on top during the first 30 mins, since most of the cheese will stick to the aluminum foil,
Spray your foil with non stick cooking spray. It’s not perfect but works pretty well to keep from losing cheese
Delicious! Family loved it.
Thanks for the recipe! I enjoyed making this for the first time. Nice & cheesy. I wish I would’ve used a little more pasta sauce. Everything else was fine.
Looks great, Veronica!
Delicious and great! My family really enjoyed it and so did I. Everyone had a second serving and I’m happy for sharing the recipe. I would’ve attached
a photo in the comment although we
dug in right away.
Definitely share a photo with us next time!
It was easy and delicious
Happy to hear!
Thanks! It was even better the next nights dinner!
It looks amazing!