Description
Experience an easy yet flavorful journey with this Easy Stuffed Pepper Pasta Bake. Combining zesty bell peppers, savory ground beef, and melted cheese, this dish brings comfort to your dinner table effortlessly. Perfect for a weeknight meal, it offers heartwarming flavors with minimal prep time, making it a must-try for busy food enthusiasts.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz uncooked rotini pasta
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 14.5 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- optional: fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta, and cook until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and add the diced onion and chopped bell peppers. Cover and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally until soft.
- Add the tomato paste and minced garlic to the skillet, cover, and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Incorporate the ground beef into the skillet, breaking it apart as it cooks, and cover while it cooks for 7–10 minutes. Drain any excess grease after browning the meat.
- Season the mixture in the skillet with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, stirring well to combine.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and fire-roasted tomatoes, stirring again, and let it simmer for 3–5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until everything is well combined and coated.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on top.
- Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Broil for 30 seconds to 1 minute to lightly brown the cheese, watching closely to avoid burning.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Optionally garnish with parsley before serving.
Notes
Make it vegetarian by substituting ground beef with lentils or a meat alternative.
Feel free to add other vegetables to the mix like zucchini or mushrooms for extra nutrition.
This dish is great for leftovers; store in an airtight container and reheat as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg