This cheesy pasta with meat sauce and alfredo sauce features a thick and creamy alfredo sauce with a rich, savory meat sauce for a quick and easy weeknight pasta dinner.
I love a meaty pasta dish. It’s a great way to feed a ton of people, and even picky eaters tend to love it. I’ve been making pasta skillets and bakes for as long as I can remember. They’re easy, hearty, and always a crowd-pleaser. I’ve been enjoying this particular recipe because it fuses meat sauce and alfredo sauce. They’re two classics that everyone loves, and they work very well together. While you might not initially think of mixing meat sauce with alfredo sauce in one dish, it’s actually amazing. It’s an idea that’s along the same lines as mixing meat sauce with a ricotta cheese mixture in lasagna. Just saucier.
Cheesy Pasta with Two Sauces
This delicious pasta dish combines a hearty, tomato-based meat sauce with a rich, cheesy alfredo sauce to create a dish that’s the best of two worlds all wrapped up into one. It starts with ground beef and Italian sausage combined with onions and cooked to tender, meaty perfection. Then, I add spicy seasonings and tomato sauce to create a zesty, Italian meat sauce. Finally, I make a rich alfredo sauce with parmesan and heavy whipping cream for extra richness and combine it all with shell pasta and more cheese on top. What I get is a super cheesy pasta dish that has everyone coming back for more again and again!
Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Pasta Recipe
- It’s easy to make and everyone raves about the combination of the two sauces.
- It’s creamy and delicious, and it can be easily made with any small pasta on hand.
- It uses simple ingredients that are easily found at your local grocery store.
Recipe Tips
- Always drain your meat to prevent a greasy dish.
- Cook your pasta just until al dente. If the pasta is too soft, it won’t stand up to mixing and baking.
- It’s important to use reserved pasta water and not straight water in your alfredo sauce. The starch in the pasta water will help thicken the sauce.
Variations
- If you don’t have the ingredients for one of the sauces, simply make the dish using the other.
- You can use pure ground beef or pure Italian sausage for this recipe.
- If you don’t like spicy food, omit the red pepper flakes.
What to Serve with Cheesy Pasta Bakes
Pasta bakes are entire meals in and of themselves, so the best things to serve with them are bread and butter or garlic bread along with a simple side salad. For larger gatherings, serve this dish alongside other Italian favorites for an Italian spread to feed a large group. Some great options for servings include:
- Bread and butter
- Garlic bread
- Salad
- Your favorite pasta dishes
- Canolli for dessert
Recipe FAQ
What is the most popular pasta dish?
Spaghetti is the most popular pasta dish in the world. The most popular variety of spaghetti is spaghetti Bolognese, the classic spaghetti and red sauce dish.
Does cheddar cheese go on pasta?
While not a traditional pairing, cheddar cheese is delicious on pasta dishes such as pasta bakes.
How long will this last in the refrigerator?
This bake will last for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze leftover cheesy pasta?
This will keep well for up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Cheesy Pasta
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To reheat this dish, place it in a baking dish, cover it, and bake it at 350 for 20 minutes until heated through.
Cheesy Pasta Ingredients
You’ll only need simple ingredients that are readily available at your local grocery store to make this dish. The actual measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Ground beef
- Ground Italian sausage
- Onion
- Garlic powder
- Slap ya mama
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Oregano
- Basil
- Butter
- All purpose flour
- Heavy whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Pasta water
- Medium shell pasta
- Mozzarella cheese
How to Make Cheesy Pasta with Meat Sauce and Alfredo Sauce
Making this recipe is incredibly simple. It only takes a few simple steps and a little light cooking and baking. That’s it!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set it aside.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the Beef
Cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, and onions in a large skillet on medium-high heat until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are tender. Drain and return to the pan.
Step 4: Make the Meat Sauce
Sprinkle the meat mixture with seasonings and stir. Then, add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Step 5: Make the Alfredo Sauce
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook until the roux is combined. Then, add the heavy whipping cream and stir until combined. Next, add the parmesan cheese, stir until melted, and add salt and pepper. Finally, add the pasta water to the cheese sauce and stir to combine.
Step 6: Construct the Pasta Bake
Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to combine. Then, pour the pasta and cheese sauce into the prepared baking dish. Top with the meat sauce, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Step 7: Bake
Bake the dish uncovered for 20 minutes until the cheese is hot and bubbly. Serve with a side salad or garlic bread and enjoy!
Try This Delicious Cheesy Pasta Bake Today
This cheesy pasta bake combines both meat sauce and alfredo sauce with perfectly cooked noodles to create a cheesy pasta dish that everyone always loves. It only takes a few minutes of stovetop cooking and less than a half hour of baking time, and that’s it! With that combination of flavor and ease, you absolutely need to try this dish. Make it just once, and I know you’ll find yourself serving it for diner over and over again.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Farfalle with Sausage – A quick and easy pasta dish loaded with Italian sausage, Italian flavors, lots of cheese, and bowtie pasta noodles.
Chicken Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo – A hearty and delicious pasta recipe that is made with tender broccoli, a homemade alfredo sauce, and tender chunks of chicken.
Cajun Chicken Alfredo – A delicious pasta dish made with tons of Cajun flavor, chicken, a creamy sauce, and tender pasta noodles.
And, this Chicken Tortellini from Deliciously Seasoned. It’s a creamy, cheesy, and hearty pasta dish made with chicken, crispy bacon, all in a creamy sauce.
Cheesy Pasta with Meat Sauce and Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon slap ya mama
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- (2) 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 12 ounce tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoon oregano
- 1½ teaspoon basil
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 16 ounce heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounce shredded Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup of pasta water
- 16 ounce box medium shell pasta
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook pasta per package directions for al dente. Retain 1 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or frying pan, over medium high heat, cook ground beef, Italian sausage and onions until meat is not longer pink and onions are tender. Drain and return to pan.
- Sprinkle with seasonings, stir.
- Pour tomato sauce and tomato paste into the meat mixture. Stir to combine, cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
- In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter and then stir in flour.
- Pour heavy whipping cream into pan and stir until combined.
- Add Parmesan cheese, stir until melted and add salt and pepper.
- Add pasta water to cheese sauce, stir, and add cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
- Pour pasta and cheese sauce into prepared baking dish followed by meat mixture on top.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Serve with a side salad and garlic bread.
Notes
Nutrition
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