High Protein Italian Beef Pasta Bake (Printable)

Hearty pasta bake with lean beef, vegetables, and melted cheese. High protein modification perfect for meal prep and family dinners.

# What You 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 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 to 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 cooked pasta with beef and vegetable sauce mixture.
08 - Transfer 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 Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like pizza night, not a diet plate, because the tomato sauce and melted cheese do the heavy lifting while the vegetables stay humble and supportive.
  • Meal prep just got easier because this bakes in one dish and reheats beautifully all week without turning into a dried-out brick.
  • You're not sacrificing protein or satisfaction for fewer calories, which means you can actually enjoy this instead of mentally planning your next meal while eating.
02 -
  • Brown the beef first before adding vegetables, because if you dump them in together the vegetables release moisture and the meat steams instead of browning, which costs you half the flavor.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute sauce simmer because that's when the dried herbs actually wake up and the tomato flavor deepens instead of tasting like you just dumped a can into a pan.
  • Use fresh-shredded cheese over pre-shredded because the anti-caking powder in bags prevents proper melting and you'll get a grainy, separated texture that looks unappetizing.
03 -
  • Cook pasta 1 minute under al dente because the baking time will finish the cooking process and you want it tender but not mushy after reheating.
  • Let the finished bake rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving so it sets just enough to scoop cleanly without being so cool that the cheese hardens.
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