Saucy Pasta Bake
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 8 oz rigatoni noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms optional
- 24 oz jar Jersey Italian Gravy or marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
BÉCHAMEL SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook pasta in boiling salted water per package directions and drain.
- For the meat sauce, brown ground beef and cook mushrooms in a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook until the beef is no longer pink, then drain excess grease. Season cooked beef with salt and pepper if desired. Stir in the Italian Gravy, rigatoni and mozzarella cheese, then simmer on low for 5 minutes.
- For the béchamel sauce, melt butter in a small skillet on medium heat. Once melted, whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Once the mixture has bubbles at the edge of the pan and begins to thicken (about 3-5 minutes), whisk in parmesan cheese and nutmeg. Season with salt to taste.
- Pour the meat sauce in a 2qt baking dish. Cover the meat sauce evenly with the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella on top.
- Bake uncovered 35-40 minutes or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
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