Name: Baked Mostaccioli Con Ricotta Recipe - Easy Cheesy Pasta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Cuisine: Italian American
Ingredients: 500 g mostaccioli pasta; 500 g ground Italian sausage; 5 cloves of minced garlic; 2 tbsp olive oil; 300 g tomato passata; 3 tsp salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning; 450 g ricotta cheese; 500 g shredded mozzarella; 1 egg; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 1 tsp dry oregano; 1tsp dry rosemary; 100 g shredded mozzarella; 100 g grated parmesan cheese

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If you are after an easy-baked dish for special occasions or comfort food for a weeknight dinner, you can’t miss this baked mostaccioli con ricotta recipe. An Italian American dish that will be the perfect weeknight comfort dinner with a tasty homemade meat sauce and cheesy filling. Or to use as a delicious food recipe for any big occasion and party! This easy baked mostaccioli recipe will be the best add-on to your easy dinner recipes, rest assured!

You know we love a good pasta recipe and can never have enough. Like our scarpariello pasta, our pasta alla cenere, gnocchi sardi and ciriole to mention some. But Italy is also home to plenty of pasta bakes from North to South and these dishes have been booming in the Italian American tradition, so we decided to share our take on one and that’s how these baked mostaccioli con ricotta came to be!

baked mostaccioli in a baking dish, a portion on the side on a marble background

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Table of Contents

What is mostaccioli pasta? What’s the difference between mostaccioli pasta and penne pasta?

Mostaccioli are a type of tubular pasta, also widely known as penne lisce. This pasta shape is similar to ziti pasta for its smooth texture and can be considered a variant of penne rigate. They are quite a popular option mostly for pasta bakes that take their roots in the Italian American tradition.

What’s the difference between baked mostaccioli and mostaccioli?

Baked mostaccioli like this recipe are a pasta bake dish popular of the Italian American tradition. Mostaccioli are a typical dessert from Campania that is served during Christmas time. They are covered in chocolate and filled with honey paste. There are plenty of different versions from around Italy. (Wikipedia)

What ingredients do I need for this baked mostaccioli con ricotta recipe?

For this recipe, you will need mostaccioli, Italian sausage, minced garlic, italian seasoning, olive oil, salt, black pepper and tomato sauce to start off the base of this pasta bake. Then you will need ricotta cheese, mozzarella, chilli flakes, oregano, rosemary and 1 egg for the filling. For your topping, you will need more mozzarella and grated parmesan cheese. Everything is easy to find in any pantry or grocery shop for a delicious casserole.

ingredients of the baked mostaccioli con ricotta from top, pasta, sauce, parmesan, ricotta, egg

Can I substitute anything in this mostaccioli con ricotta recipe?

You can indeed find substitutes for almost all of the ingredients required in this mostaccioli con ricotta recipe.

mostaccioli: you can use ziti, penne rigate, manicotti shells;
Italian sausages: you can substitute for ground beef, ground pork, chicken or any ground meat you prefer;
ricotta: you could use any soft crumbly cheese, like cottage cheese or only use shredded mozzarella if you have picky eaters;
mozzarella: you can substitute it for provolone cheese or something that can melt well in the oven;
parmesan cheese: if you want a stronger flavour, you could use pecorino romano cheese;
tomato passata: you can use a white sauce instead or a creamy sauce, your favourite red sauce or marinara sauce, even store brought ones;
garlic cloves: you can use garlic powder instead, just make sure you add enough or to taste;
Italian seasonings & spices: if you are not a fan of red pepper flakes you can avoid them, instead of Italian seasoning you could use fresh basil or any seasoning you prefer and works well with meat and cheese.

What equipment will I need for this mostaccioli con ricotta recipe?

All you will need for this easy pasta recipe is a large casserole dish, a large pot to cook the pasta, a large skillet or Dutch oven, a wooden spoon and a large bowl to make your filling and mix your mostaccioli pasta. And lastly an oven!

How to make the mostaccioli con ricotta recipe step-by-step instructions

Start by cooking the sauce in a large skillet. Pour the oil and the minced garlic and cook for a minute. Add the Italian sausage and brown it over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato passata to the skillet, the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, cook al dente the uncooked mostaccioli in a large pot of salted water following the package instructions. Drain the pasta water and set the cooked pasta aside. Preheat the oven to 190C.

When the pasta sauce and pasta are ready, add the cooked sausage mixture to the pasta pot and mix well with a wooden spoon and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, seasoning, shredded mozzarella cheese and egg together and combine. In a large prepared baking dish, spoon half of the pasta mixture and spread in a layer. Add the ricotta mixture on top and spread in a layer. Then add the remaining pasta mixture on top.

Lastly, spread the parmesan and shredded mozzarella on the pasta and cover with foil. Cook the mostaccioli con ricotta recipe in a preheated oven for 35 minutes. Then take the foil off and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

baked mostaccioli in a baking dish, a portion on the side, yellow towel and wooden spoon

baked mostaccioli in a baking dish,a dish on the side, yellow towel and wooden spoon

How long will this pasta keep? Can I freeze this pasta dish?

You absolutely can! That’s the magic about baked pasta dishes, they are easy to make in advance. You can keep the baked mostaccioli con ricotta recipe refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days. You can easily warm it up in the microwave when needed or in the oven, all you have to do is get your portion and leave the remaining pasta refrigerated.

This pasta bake can be frozen either before or after you bake them. You will store it in a freezer-safe baking dish wrapped in aluminium foil or closed with a lid for up to two months, either baked or unbaked first. If you are going for the unbaked version, just prep everything as normal and then allow everything to be cool before freezing it. If you decide to only freeze any leftovers, allow them to cool completely to room temperature. Put them in a freezer-safe dish wrapped in foil or closed with a lid, just remember to add a date on them.

When you need to bake them, allow an extra 20 to 30 minutes for them as they come from the freezer. You will get an easy dinner for the whole family in no time. Add more mozzarella cheese if you love it extra cheesy!