INGREDIENTS
12 ounces pasta of choice (use gluten-free, if needed)
½ lb. bulk mild Italian sausage + ½ lb. lean ground beef (or, may use 1 lb. ground meat of choice)
1 24-ounce jar Primal Kitchen marinara sauce
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Optional for serving: Fresh basil and Parmesan cheese
Want more veggies? Add 3-4 cups of diced zucchini, diced onion, roughly chopped spinach, and/or chopped broccoli in Step 2 below.
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mist a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (or use two 9×9 baking dishes, if freezing one for later) and set aside.
To a skillet or saute pan over medium high heat, add ground beef and sausage. Cook until browned, using a spatula to break up the meat. If adding chopped vegetables, add them to the pan now with the meat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. If needed, drain excess fat from the pan.
While the meat is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente (pasta should still be slightly firm or it will get too soft when baked – and cook it a little more al dente / more firm if you plan to freeze it). Drain the pasta and pour into the prepared 9×13 pan (or divide it among the two pans).
Add the cooked meat, marinara sauce, 1 cup of the cheese, and the Italian seasoning to the pan (or pans) with the pasta. Stir gently until well incorporated. Sprinkle with remaining the remaining 1/2 cup cheese (or add more to your liking). If freezing one pan, see the freezing instructions below.
Cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes, until hot and bubbly, and until the cheese on top is melted.
Serve sprinkled with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
