High Protein Italian Beef Pasta (Printable)

Hearty beef and vegetable pasta bake topped with melted mozzarella for a nutritious family dinner.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz whole wheat penne or rotini pasta

→ Beef & Vegetables

02 - 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
03 - 1 medium onion, diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 3.5 oz mushrooms, sliced
07 - 3.5 oz baby spinach

→ Sauce

08 - 24 fl oz canned crushed tomatoes
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
12 - 0.5 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Cheese & Toppings

14 - 5 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 - 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 1 oz turkey pepperoni slices, optional
17 - Fresh basil for garnish, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
04 - Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and mushrooms to the skillet. Sauté for 5–7 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 1 minute.
06 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
07 - Combine the cooked pasta with the beef and vegetable sauce mixture.
08 - Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.
09 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top. Arrange turkey pepperoni slices if using.
10 - Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
11 - Garnish with fresh basil before serving, if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that comforting pizza-bake experience without the guilt, and it comes together faster than you'd expect.
  • It's the kind of dish that looks impressive when people ask what's for dinner, but you'll actually have energy left after making it.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the excess fat from the beef—it sounds small, but it's the difference between a sleek sauce and a greasy one.
  • Cooking the pasta slightly under al dente is crucial because those last few minutes in the oven will finish the job, and overcooked pasta in a bake is genuinely sad.
03 -
  • Use a nonstick skillet for browning the beef so you genuinely don't need added oil, which keeps the whole dish leaner without sacrificing flavor.
  • Grate your own cheese if you can—pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting as smoothly as fresh grated does.
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