Your whole family is going to LOVE this epic ONE Skillet Cheesy Penne (with meat sauce) and you are going to love how easy it is!
This Cheesy Penne is life changing – or at least culinary changing. The pasta cooks right in the homemade ragu so the pasta soaks up tons of flavor then is loaded with cheeeeeeeese for an easy, comforting, any-night-of-the-week dinner. Serve this penne pasta alongside garlic bread and Parmesan asparagus for a delectable dinner with little cleanup but TONS of taste!
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There is nothing quite as universally comforting to devour as a cheesy, hearty pasta from my Classic Lasagna and One Pot Lasagna Soup to my Million Dollar Baked Penne, Million Dollar Mac and Cheese Casserole, One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese, Spaghetti Bolognese, Spaghetti and Meatballs to my Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta – I could go on and on and on. And there is nothing quite as universally appealing to a cook as easy cleanup as a ONE SKILLET PASTA – enter your new best friends, One Skillet Cheesy Penne!
You will love every cheesy, meaty, saucy bite of of this cheesy penne. Not only is it cheesy, but its creamy, seasoned to perfection and is going to have you craving its comfortliciousness endlessly.
While pasta is already a relatively quick and easy dinner, we are able to eliminate two extra pots and infuse the pasta with tons of flavor by simmering everything right in the same skillet.
Cheesy Pasta Recipe Ingredients
- Penne: This recipe has been tested with penne for the cooking time. A different pasta, such as cellentani, might require additional cooking time and liquid.
- Ground Beef: You may also use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Carrots and bell peppers: Their sweetness balances the acidity and adds a complex dimension of flavor. You may skip if you don’t have them or substitute the red bell pepper for a carrot. If you skip, be prepared to add a bit of extra sugar.
- Onion: One yellow onion will do the trick. For lazy days, substitute with onion powder.
- Garlic: I use 6-8 garlic cloves, but feel free to use less if you prefer. You may also use 1-1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder – but the real stuff is much better!
- Crushed tomatoes: You will need one 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (often called crushed tomatoes in puree). Make sure your crushed tomatoes don’t have any additional seasonings or added salt. I recommend high-quality San Marzano tomatoes for their sweet, intense, tomatoey flavor and lower acidity. Some reputable brands include San Marzano, Cento, and Muir Glen. San Marzano tomatoes are usually sold “whole,” so you will want to pour them into a bowl and crush them first.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes: These are wonderfully smoky with a sweet complexity and less acidity than traditional tomatoes. If you can’t find fire-roasted, use regular.
- Tomato paste: Just two tablespoons add rich, concentrated tomato flavor. Tip: Store unused tomato paste by the tablespoon wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for easy use.
- Chicken bouillon: This adds a depth of concentrated flavor, making the sauce taste like it’s been simmering all day. You can use beef base (such as Zoup! or Better Than Bouillon), granulated bouillon, or crushed cubes, all in equal amounts. Add the bouillon directly to the pot, but don’t dissolve it in water first.
- Seasonings: This recipe is seasoned to perfection with basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Sugar: A little sugar balances the tomatoes’ acidity. The amount of sugar will depend on the tomato’s acidity, whether you use a carrot, and personal preference.
Best Cheese for Pasta
- Mozzarella: Its milky, buttery richness cuts through the tangy sauce and melts beautifully to create a blanket of gooey cheese. Please use only freshly shredded mozzarella for superior melting ability and flavor. You can use a block of low-skim mozzarella or splurge for a ball of fresh mozzarella—yum!
- Parmesan: This infuses the cheesy penne pasta with an alluring salty, nutty flavor. Please use freshly grated!
How to Make Penne Pasta with Cheese
- First, brown your beef with onions and carrots then stir in your bell pepper and garlic.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and your Italian seasonings and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes and your ragu flavors have melded, stir in the water and pasta…
- And simmer an additional 12-ish minutes or until your pasta is al dente and has soaked up the seasoned water.
- Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and cheddar – mmmmmmm……
- Top with mozzarella and broil just until the cheese is melted and golden.
And you have ooey, gooey, saucy One Skilley Cheesy Penne all under 30 minutes and all in one dish!
Another bonus of this One Skillet Cheesy Penne is that it makes wonderful leftovers – I think the flavors are even better the next day as I could not stop craving it, eating it, loving every bite of it.
So the next time you need an easy prep, easy cleanup but absolutely rave worthy meal (which is all the time right?), try this One Skillet Cheesy Penne! And sit back, relax, and let someone else wash the one skillet.
Penne Pasta Recipe Variations
- Protein Boost: Substitute the ground beef for Italian sausage, ground turkey, grilled chicken, or shrimp.
- Vegetarian Delight: To make it a hearty vegetarian dish, skip the ground beef and incorporate sautéed mushrooms, spinach, eggplant, green beans, or zucchini.
- Spicy Twist: Mix in extra red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Creamy Upgrade: Stir in additional heavy cream or a dollop of ricotta for an even creamier texture.
- Herbaceous Flavor: Add fresh basil, parsley, and/or oregano instead of dried for a burst of fresh, aromatic flavor.
- Gluten-Free: Substitute the penne with your favorite gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free version.
- Mexican-Inspired: Swap out the Italian seasoning for taco seasoning and add black beans and corn.
How to store Cheese Pasta
Store tightly covered with foil or in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat servings in the microwave for one minute, then at 10-second intervals.
Penne Pasta with Cheese FAQs
Penne pasta is a type of Italian pasta characterized by its cylindrical shape with diagonal cuts at both ends, resembling a quill or pen tip. The word “penne” comes from the Italian word for “pen,” reflecting its pointed ends. Penne is typically ridged (known as “penne rigate”), which helps sauces cling to its surface, making it ideal for hearty, chunky sauces. It’s a versatile pasta that works well in baked dishes, pasta salads, and various sauce-based recipes.
Penne and ziti are similar but not the same. Both are tube-shaped pasta, but they have distinct differences:
Shape: Penne has ridges on its surface (penne rigate) and is cut diagonally at the ends, creating a pointed tip. Ziti, on the other hand, is typically smooth (without ridges) and has straight-cut ends, giving it a more uniform, tubular shape.
Texture: The ridges on penne help sauces cling better to the pasta, while ziti’s smooth surface gives it a different texture when cooked.
Usage: Penne is often used in various sauce-based dishes and pasta salads, while ziti is commonly used in baked dishes like “baked ziti,” where it’s layered with cheese, sauce, and sometimes meat.
While similar in shape, penne and ziti are distinct in their cut, texture, and traditional culinary uses.
Looking for more Italian pasta recipes?
- Million Dollar Baked Penne
- Baked Italian Meatballs (and Spaghetti)
- Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo
- Parmesan Meatballs and Orzo
- Chicken Parmesan
- Shrimp Fettuccine
- Million Dollar Macaroni and Cheese
- 20 Minute Sundried Tomato Basil Shrimp Pasta
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef (may use ½ sausage)
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes in puree
- 1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes with seasonings, drained
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp EACH chicken bouillon, sugar, dried basil
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried parsley
- 3 cups water
- 12 ounces uncooked penne (about 3 ½ cups)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick, oven proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add meat and season with ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add onions and carrots and cook until meat is browned.
- Add bell pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken bouillon, sugar, and all seasonings and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 10 minutes, stir in the water and pasta. Cover, increase heat to medium-high and cook at a vigorous simmer (you may need to decrease heat), stirring occasionally and replacing lid, just until the pasta is al dente, 12-16 minutes. Taste pasta often as reaches the end of cooking to ensure you don’t overcook your pasta.
- Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and cheddar until well combined. Top the pasta evenly with mozzarella. Transfer the skillet to the oven (on the middle rack) and broil until the cheese is melted and golden, 2-3 minutes. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
- This makes wonderful leftovers – I think the flavors are even better the next day!
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of New York Bakery. The opinions and text are all mine.
Alia @ Everyday Easy Eats says
Mmmm this recipe looks so comforting! I love cheesy pasta dishes too much for my own good lol. Your pictures are gorgeous too!
Jen says
LOL! I hear ya! Can’t get enough cheesy pasta! Thank you so much Ali, I hope you can make it soon!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Forget breakfast, I just want to dive right in to dinner. It looks so delicious and the bread? YUM!! Can’t wait to try this.
Jen says
I am always up for “real food” for breakfast! I’m excited for you to try it too – super cheesy and comforting! Thanks Marisa, have a great weekend!
Tammy says
Making this right now on this cold Texas night! House smells amazing and I can’t wait for dinner!
Jen says
What a great comforting meal for a cold night! I hope you all love it! Have a great weekend!
Courtney says
This looks delicious! I have everything to make it!! One question, Is the beef ever strained after browning it?
Jen says
Hi Courtney! It is up to you – if it needs to be strained then I would definitely strain it but if you use lean ground beef you might not need to. Enjoy!
Mark says
this is the bomb, my girlfriend just made this for me and i’ll never be the same
Jen says
You are so nice to take the time to comment Mark, thank you so much! I am thrilled you loved this so much!!
Nicole says
One pot dishes!! Where have you been all my life?! This was a definite crowd pleaser. Husband and kid approved! I love the flavor/crunch that the veggies give it! Definite repeater!
Jen says
Right?! I love One Pot or Sheet Pan meals so much – its hard to want to create anything else! I am thrilled this was a crowd pleaser – your family has great taste 🙂
Jenna says
Any tips on how to make this one day ahead of time? Do all steps and simply reheat the next day? Do steps 1-3 and save 4 for the day of? Looking forward to trying this out!
Jen says
Hi Jenna, this actually keeps very well, so making the recipe in its entirety ahead of time works beautifully, just be sure not to overcook the pasta. enjoy!
Steve says
Lovely meal! Made this for my partner and three children, and even the fussy one said it was awesome. Being from the UK, I was unsure of a couple ingredients, but made do. I used 500g of beef, some roasted red pepper instead of the bell pepper, and 500g passata and 200g tin chopped tomato instead of the crushed tomatoes and fire tomatoes (never heard of them). I also used the fresh refrigerated pasta from the supermarket, about 350g was plenty, and used about 2 cups of water as it absorbs less (I also cooked it for less time). Oh, and lacking a skillet, I used a wok! Garnished with fresh basil and served with salad. I’ve already had requests to make it again! Bravo! Excellent recipe!
Jen says
Hi Steve, I’m so happy this was a hit with the whole family! Thank you so so much for providing the recipe equivalents for those from the UK – I’m sure many will appreciate that!
Melissa says
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! We have made many of your recipes and have loved them all. Thank you for spicing up dinner times!
Jen says
That’s awesome! I’m thrilled you are loving my recipes! thanks Melissa!
Sue says
Oh my goodness me! Did the kids love this one! You made me Mom of the year! Or night , at least. I didn’t have a red pepper or the fire roasted tomato, I just used regular tomato pieces in sauce but it was still just fantastic. I had a bit of cream and cheese that needed using up immediately also, so it was perfect! You seem to have an inmate sense on what families like to eat. Thank you so much again! Love these family recipes! With items on hand!
Jen says
YAY! Congrats to Mom of the year 🙂 I’m thrilled it was such a hit! Thank you so so much for your kind words, I just love to cook and to share! I’m so pleased you are enjoying my recipes! xo
Ellen Manalo says
Hi Jen! I cannot find a can of fire roasted tomatoes with seasonings here in our local grocery store i only see crushed tomatoes. I love anything pasta so I really want to try this delicious recipe, what can i use instead? Thanks for replying & warm regards from your fan in the Philippines!!
Jen says
Hi Ellen! You can use regular diced tomatoes instead, you just might need to add a little more sugar to balance the acidity. Enjoy!
Sharon says
My husband and I both really liked this. We will definitely be making this recipe on a regular basis.
Jen says
Thanks so much Sharon, I love hearing it’s a new repeat favorite!
Mallorie says
This is a every other week dish at our house. EVERYONE loves it and begs to have it weekly! Thank you!
Jen says
I love hearing that Mallorie, thank you so much!
Nerissa says
So this is very good even though I left out a few ingredients such as cheese. YeSSS no cheese, because I have a daughter who doesn’t do cheese. Left out: bouillon, cheese, heavy cream. I used ground turkey instead of beef. Served it with Texas toast . Most definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing,
Jen says
Thank you! I’m so glad it will be a repeat!