Name: Cheesy Bolognese pasta bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 26 ml olive oil (2 tablespoons); 1 cup chopped yellow onion; 3-5 garlic cloves, minced; 1 kg ground meat (port and beef mix) (2.2 pounds, 35 ounces); 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons salt (for the sauce); 2 teaspoons paprika; 325 grams Penne and Fusilli pasta (11-12 ounces); 2 tablespoons salt (for the pasta water); 1 cup pasta water; 80 ml red wine (1/3 cup); 540 grams tomato sauce (~2 ½ cups); 10 grams chopped parsley (1/3 cup); 330 grams grated mozzarella cheese (2-3 cups)

Are you craving a comforting, no-fuss meal? Then this cheesy Bolognese pasta bake recipe is the one for you. I turned the classic Bolognese pasta into a baked dish, keeping the flavor profile the same and even better. I mean, who doesn’t like melty, cheesy pasta goodness?

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Why you’ll love this recipe

This is the perfect winter dish you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. The bolognese pasta bake is packed with flavor and made with simple ingredients.

The meat sauce has the perfect combination of pork and beef, where the lean nature of ground beef is balanced by the fatty, flavorful ground pork, resulting in a moist, tender, and flavorful bolognese sauce.

The tomato sauce, red wine, Italian seasoning, and parsley elevate and complete the flavor, making this pasta dish irresistible. Finish with a generous sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese, perfectly melted on top.

What is Bolognese?

Bolognese is a meat-based Italian sauce, also known as Ragù alla Bolognese. It’s usually served over tagliatelle pasta or can be used to make baked lasagna in Bolognese style. For more information about Bolognese, you can read here.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for cheesy Bolognese pasta bake.

Penne and/or Rigatoni pasta. I often find a variety of pasta left in small quantities in my pantry. Therefore, I usually mix and match different pasta shapes as long as they are not too different from one another. For example, I wouldn’t combine spaghetti with penne simply because their shapes don’t match and the cooking time will differ. But let’s say Fettuccini and Tagliatelle—that will be a good match.

Italian seasoning. Using premade seasoning makes it easy to add the perfect punch of flavor. Italian seasoning usually consists of dry basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and mint. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use any of these herbs or a combination of them.

Ground meat. It’s best to use a combination of lean and fatty meat. You can do 50/50 or 60/40 beef to pork meat.

Red wine. Traditional Bolognese sauce is made with white wine. However, when using more tomato sauce, as in this recipe, I prefer to use a full-bodied dry red wine, such as Merlot, Cabernet, or Chianti.

Tomato sauce. I use a thick tomato sauce in this recipe. You can also use pasta sauce with basil added to it, but make sure it doesn’t have many other ingredients as it may affect the flavor of the overall dish.

Mozzarella cheese. Use cheese with a high melting point, such as mozzarella, or you can combine mozzarella with parmesan or Grana Padano.

How to make cheesy Bolognese pasta bake?

Note! For exact measurements and detailed directions, see the recipe card below.

Step 1: In a deep pan, heat the olive oil and cook the onion until soft and caramelized.

Step 2: Add the minced garlic. Then mix in the ground meat with the herbs and seasonings.

Step 3: Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water. Drane, but save one cup of pasta water for later.

Step 4: Add wine to the meat. After 2-3 minutes, add the tomato sauce and cook on low for 5 minutes. Mix in the chopped parsley.

Step 5: Add the meat sauce to the pasta, mix well, and pour the pasta water saved from earlier.

Step 6: Place the shredded cheese evenly on top and bake until golden and melty. Serve hot.

Recipe Tips

Don’t overcook the pasta. Since we are cooking the pasta twice, make sure to boil the pasta half the time that it’s listed on the package. They will finish cooking in the oven.

Don’t forget to add enough salt to the pasta water. Adding salt to the pasta water adds flavor to the pasta as it cooks. Be generous with it, the water should be pretty salty. I add about two tablespoons to a large pot that holds 5-6 liquid quarts, or about 5-6 liters.

You can skip the baking step. If you don’t want to bake the pasta, you can simply cook the meat sauce as directed in the recipe, except cook the pasta until al dente and toss it with the sauce at the end. Serve and top with a generous amount of shaved parmesan cheese or Grana Padano.

Additions and substitutions

You can substitute any type of pasta you have: penne, spaghetti, rigatoni, etc. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute beef or veggie stock. Use any other cheese that melts similar to mozzarella, or mix varieties for extra flavor, such as mozzarella and cheddar, fontina, or greyer. Parmesan or Grana Padano will also be nice to sprinkle on top.

Storage and reheating

Store the pasta covered in the fridge after it has cooled for up to 3 days. To freeze, you can portion the pasta, wrap it in foil, and then, in a plastic bag, freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat pasta from the fridge, you can do it in the microwave or cover with foil in the oven at 350F (180C) for 10-15 minutes or until warm. To reheat the pasta from the freezer, place it in a heatproof dish, cover with foil, and reheat it in the oven, or place it uncovered in the microwave until the desired temperature.

Recipe FAQ

Cook the pasta half away of what it says in the package. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven for the perfect al dente texture.

You can let it rest for about 5 minutes, but make sure to serve it still pretty hot as the melted cheese on top will set quickly and won’t pull and streach once it’s cooled.

More recipes to try

Here are some more savory recipes you might be interested in trying:

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