Baked Mostaccioli combines Italian sausage, peppers, garlic, onions, and marinara, all blanketed in mozzarella and provolone cheese. It is the ultimate easy comfort food meal, family-friendly and guaranteed to please!
This baked pasta is a hearty meal by itself, but I like to serve it with triple cheese garlic bread and Italian salad for a complete, company-worthy meal.
The Ultimate Baked Mostaccioli
This is not your lunch ladies’ mostaccioli—or your wedding day mostaccioli. This delicious baked mostaccioli contains layers of fresh Italian sausage, sweet onions, minced garlic, and marinara. It is then topped with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.
Baked Mostaccioli can be prepped in advance, loaded in the refrigerator, and baked at the optimum time. We are one pasta-loving family. Pasta is so easy, comforting, and darn delicious every time. If you like this recipe, try chicken tortellini alfredo, spaghetti and meatballs, beefaroni, and cheese stuffed manicotti.
How to make Baked Mostaccioli
First, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook your mostaccioli noodles al dente according to package instructions and drain well. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When about halfway browned, add the green pepper and onions. Cook until the peppers and onions are soft. Reduce the heat and add the minced garlic and Italian seasoning, cooking for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat and drain any excess grease.
Next, stir in the cooked sausage mixture, cooked pasta, and marinara. You can also transfer everything to a casserole dish. Then, top the pasta mixture with an even layer of grated Parmesan Cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the cheese melts and lightly browns. If desired, garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley.
What to Serve With Baked Mostaccioli
- Olive Garden copycat salad
- Garden salad
- No knead bread
- Minestrone soup
- Breadsticks
- Cabbage soup
- Vegetable soup
- Creamy cucumber tomato salad
Recipe Tips
- Cook the mostaccioli al dente, which means still somewhat firm. It will be baked with the sausage, veggies, and sauce. Don’t overcook it.
- Use good quality Italian sausage. Most butcher shops make their own, which tastes much better than processed sausage with all the preservatives.
- Grate and shred your cheese fresh from the block. That way, you will not have preservatives, added enzymes, and cellulose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Substitute ground beef, ground turkey, or ground pork for the Italian sausage.
Other tubular pasta types to use include penne, ziti, or rigatoni.
More Pasta Recipes
Baked Mostaccioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mostaccioli pasta
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage
- 1 large green pepper seeded veined and chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4-5 cups marinara sauce or tomato sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the mostaccioli noodles al dente according to package instructions and drain well.
- Brown sausage in a skillet on medium heat. Remove sausage to plate; cover and keep warm.
- Add peppers and onions to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the edges of the onions start to brown. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat.
- Combine the cooked sausage mixture, cooked mostaccioli, and marinara in a large baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with mozzarella, and parmesan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and started to brown just a touch. If desired garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Are you on the hunt for more delicious recipes? Follow Small Town Woman on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Monica
Your baked mostaccioli recipe is simply mouthwatering! It’s a cheesy, comforting delight that’s easy to follow. Thanks for sharing this scrumptious dish – it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser at family gatherings.🍝🧀
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Monica! Yes it really is a crowd pleaser.
Jack
This recipe is always a hit with my family. It is hearty, easy to make, and alway delicious. Serve it with a simple salad and cheese garlic bread and they will come a running.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jack!
Blair
This is a great baked pasta dish. So easy yet full of flavor. I made an Italian chopped salad to go with it and everyone was full to the brim.
Gavin
This looks so good! Tried this before and it was amazing!
Mary
Great dish. Great comfort food. A must make for pasta lovers.
Nancy
This Was so perfect now that the weather is cooling down! So yummy! The kids loved it and so did my husband.
Lisa
This was a really good and filling dish. Thanks for sharing this! My mother came for dinner and she loved it so much that she took the recipe home with her.
Debbie
I’m a huge fan of pasta and my husband loves sausage. This Baked Mostaccioli is the perfect dinner for us!
Heather
Mostaccioli is the king of comfort food. This recipe has the perfect blend of pasta cheese sausage and sauce. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Beth.
Rosey
Pasta lover in the house. I loved the baked mostaccioli. So did my sweet neighbor that I shared it with.
Robert
One of my favorite pasta recipes. I make this at least twice a month. It is delicious and easy.
Jasmine Martin
This pasta looks absolutely delicious. I am definitely going to have to make this for dinner really soon. I know it’s going to taste amazing.
Yeah Lifestyle
Yum, this was an absolutely delicious recipe. It came together so quickly! I should make all my pasta recipes with Italian sausage.
Laura
This is the ultimate comfort food! So good!
Tammy
This is a wonderfully hearty family meal. It was so delicious and the leftovers heated up perfectly in the microwave. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Kitchen Mosaic Backsplash
This is the first time I have heard of Baked Mostaccioli, the dish looks out of this world good!!! I can’t wait to make your recipe, can’t wait.