Watch the Recipe Video

See how quickly and easily this delectable Cheesy Spiral Pasta Bake comes together! Our step-by-step video guides you through the entire process, from cooking the pasta to mixing the savory beef and cheese sauce, and finally preparing it for baking or freezing. It’s the perfect visual aid to ensure your pasta bake turns out perfectly every time.

Effortless & Quick: Total Time Needed

One of the best features of this Cheesy Spiral Pasta Bake is its efficiency. You can have the rich beef mixture simmering and ready to go in just about 15 minutes, perfectly coinciding with the pasta cooking time. Once everything is combined, the baking process in the oven takes approximately 30-40 minutes. This means you can have a warm, bubbling, and incredibly satisfying dinner on the table in less than an hour from start to finish. It’s ideal for busy weeknights when you crave a homemade meal without spending hours in the kitchen.

Essential Ingredients for Your Cheesy Spiral Pasta Bake

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to creating this hearty and delicious pasta bake. You’ll find that most of these are pantry staples, making this recipe not only simple but also budget-friendly.

• Spiral Pasta: Also known as rotini or fusilli, these curly noodles are perfect for holding onto the rich sauce and cheese. Slightly undercooking them ensures they don’t get mushy during baking.
• Cooked Ground Beef: Lean ground beef works best here. Pre-cooking and draining the fat ahead of time makes assembly even faster, especially when doing bulk meal prep.
• Marinara Sauce: A good quality marinara sauce forms the base of our delicious tomato flavor. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand or homemade version.
• Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup: This secret ingredient adds an incredible creamy, cheesy richness and helps bind all the flavors together beautifully. Make sure to use it undiluted.
• Black Pepper: A simple seasoning to enhance the overall taste. Adjust to your preference.
• Italian Seasoning: A blend of classic Italian herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary that elevates the savory notes of the dish.
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: The star of the show for that irresistible cheesy pull! Freshly shredded mozzarella melts more evenly than pre-shredded varieties.
• Non-stick cooking spray: Essential for preparing your baking pans to prevent sticking.
• Aluminum foil: For wrapping the freezer portion.

For precise measurements and a detailed ingredient list, please refer to the comprehensive recipe card below.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Cheesy Spiral Pasta Bake

Creating this satisfying pasta bake is incredibly straightforward. Follow these easy steps to bring this comforting dish to life, whether for tonight’s dinner or to stock your freezer.

First, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add your spiral pasta and cook according to the package directions, but aim for slightly al dente – meaning it should still have a little bite to it. This prevents the pasta from becoming overcooked and mushy during the baking process. Once cooked, drain the pasta thoroughly and give it a quick rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and prevent it from sticking together. Return the drained pasta to the large pot.

Next, it’s time to build the rich, flavorful sauce. To the cooked pasta in the pot, add your pre-cooked and drained ground beef, your favorite marinara sauce, the undiluted condensed cheddar cheese soup, a generous sprinkle of black pepper, and the Italian seasoning. These ingredients form the core of the bake’s incredible flavor profile.

Place the pot over low heat and stir everything together gently but thoroughly. Continue stirring regularly for a few minutes, allowing all the ingredients to combine and the sauce to warm through. This step ensures that every spiral of pasta is coated in the delicious, cheesy beef mixture.

Once the mixture is well combined and heated, remove the pot from the heat. This is crucial before adding the mozzarella cheese to prevent it from clumping or getting too stringy too early.

Now, generously stir in the shredded mozzarella cheese. The residual heat from the pasta and sauce will begin to melt the cheese, creating that wonderful gooey texture throughout the dish. Stir until the cheese is well distributed and starting to become stringy and mixed into the sauce.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare your chosen baking pans by spraying them thoroughly with non-stick cooking spray. For this recipe, we’re aiming for two pans: one 9×12 inch pan for immediate dinner and one 8×8 inch pan for the freezer. Carefully pour the pasta mixture evenly into the prepared pans.

Place the larger baking pan (for dinner) into your preheated oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top is beautifully melted and lightly golden. While the larger pan bakes, prepare your smaller pan for the freezer by securely wrapping it with aluminum foil.

Once baked to perfection, carefully remove the pan from the oven. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the cheese to set slightly. Garnish with fresh parsley or a sprinkle of extra shredded cheese if desired, and enjoy your incredibly delicious Cheesy Spiral Pasta Bake!

Make Ahead Magic: Freezer Instructions

This spiral pasta recipe with cheese is an absolute dream for meal prepping, as it freezes exceptionally well. I often prepare one 9×12 inch pan for our immediate dinner and an additional 8×8 inch pan to tuck away in the freezer. This strategy ensures we always have a homemade meal ready for those hectic evenings when cooking from scratch just isn’t an option.

If you have a smaller household or simply prefer to cook in more modest portions, you can easily adapt this recipe. Instead of one large and one small pan, you might find that this single batch yields enough to create three individual 8×8 inch freezer-friendly pans. This allows for even greater flexibility in your meal planning.

To properly prepare your Cheesy Spiral Pasta for the freezer:

1. Allow the pasta mixture to cool completely before wrapping. This prevents ice crystals from forming.
2. Securely wrap the pan(s) with at least two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Alternatively, transfer the cooled pasta into freezer-safe airtight containers. Ensure there’s minimal air exposure to prevent freezer burn.
3. Label each pan or container clearly with the dish name, “Cheesy Spiral Pasta,” and reheating instructions. A good label would read: “Cheesy Spiral Pasta: Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.” Don’t forget to add the date you prepared it!

Having this delightful pasta bake on hand in the freezer is a true game-changer for stress-free meal times.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cheesy Spiral Pasta

Cheesy Spiral Pasta Bake

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