Cabbage Roll Pasta Bake Beef (Printable)
Cabbage-roll flavors in baked pasta with beef, tomato sauce and melted cheeses for a warm, family dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small head green cabbage, chopped (about 5 cups)
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Pasta
05 - 12 oz small pasta shells or penne
→ Tomato Sauce
06 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
07 - 1 cup tomato sauce
08 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
→ Dairy
09 - 1 and 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry/Seasonings
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1 tsp dried basil
14 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
15 - 1/2 tsp sugar (optional, to taste)
16 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta two minutes less than package instructions, then drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions for 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Add ground beef to skillet and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon, about 5 to 6 minutes.
05 - Stir in chopped cabbage. Cook until cabbage softens, 5 to 7 minutes.
06 - Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried oregano, dried basil, smoked paprika, and sugar if desired. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
07 - In a large mixing bowl, gently toss together the cooked pasta, beef-cabbage mixture, and half the mozzarella cheese.
08 - Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top evenly with remaining mozzarella and all the Parmesan cheese.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 10 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbling.
10 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It delivers the cozy flavor of cabbage rolls without any of the fussy rolling or layering.
- The cheesy golden crust seals in a tangy, saucy middle that is somehow even better the next day.
02 -
- Once, I skimped on seasoning the sauce and regretted every bland bite—taste and tweak before baking.
- Mixing the cheese into the hot pasta helps it melt smoothly into the whole bake instead of clumping on top.
03 -
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet when browning beef—better color means better flavor.
- Add smoked paprika for a gentle undertone that makes people ask what your secret is.