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–+ servings

Sloppy Joe Pasta

Teresa Ambra
Sloppy Joe Pasta is irresistible. This amazing pasta recipe combines the best of Italian and Tex-Mex. It's a delightful pasta dish that's kid-friendly and one your family will surely love. It's also a super quick and easy 6-ingredient recipe that's perfect for weeknight dinners when you're short on time. This comfort food casserole is so good, you'll want it in your monthly meal rotation plan.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Beef, Main Dish, Pasta Main Dish
Cuisine Italian/Tex-Mex
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. 93% to 96% lean ground beef (I used 2 1/4 lbs. ground beef)
  • 2 pkts. Sloppy Joe mix
  • 12-16 oz. box medium shell pasta cooked and drained
  • 32 oz. jar Prego spaghetti sauce or your favorite kind (see note below)
  • 1 cup water, if needed I never use this much—I use about 1/3 to ½ cup at the most
  • 24 oz. ctn. ricotta cheese or cottage cheese
  • 8 oz. pkg. sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil.
  • Add shell pasta and cook according to package directions.
  • Drain.
  • While pasta is cooking, in a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
  • Stir in the Sloppy Joe mix, spaghetti sauce and enough water to rinse out the spaghetti sauce jar--about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
  • Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat; stir in drained pasta.
  • Spoon half of the beef mixture into a greased 9x13" casserole dish.
  • Top with ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese) and remaining beef mixture.
  • Bake, covered with foil, at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.
  • Remove foil.
  • Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake until cheese is melted about 5-10 minutes longer.

Notes

NOTE: When spaghetti sauce was first mass-produced in the late 1970s or early 1980s all the jars were a full quart (32-ounces). Over the years, the size of the jars have decreased until now they are only 24-ounces. This recipe needs a full 32-ounces. So you need 1 1/2 24-oz. jars to get the amount of spaghetti sauce needed for this recipe.
NOTE: I increased the amount of ground beef to 2 1/4 lbs. We really liked the increased amount of meat in the recipe.
NOTE: The original recipe called for cottage cheese. However, most people don't like cottage cheese and it is a little on the soupy side. That's why I've changed this ingredient to ricotta cheese instead.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Keyword beef, casserole, cheese, ground beef, main dish, noodles, pasta
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