Beef & Zucchini Baked Penne
2x the delicious portions!
Who doesn’t daydream about cheesy baked pasta? Luckily, this big batch crowd-pleaser will make those dreams come true for the whole crew. In it, you’ll find penne, zucchini, and savory ground beef in a rich marinara sauce layered with herby, creamy ricotta. To top things off, there’s a melty blanket of mozzarella and a sprinkle of chili flakes. Serve it right from the dish for maximum cheese pull potential and lots of oohs and aahs! This recipe is double the typical servings, providing 4 servings and 8 servings for a 2 person and 4 person box respectively.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
Ingredients
1 unit
Zucchini
12 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains Wheat)
20 ounce
Ground Beef
2 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
2 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 unit
Tomato Paste
3 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
8 ounce
Ricotta Cheese
(Contains Milk)
½ cup
Mozzarella Cheese
(Contains Milk)
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
14 ounce
Marinara Sauce
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
Cooking Oil
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Instructions
• Adjust rack to middle position (top and middle positions for 8 servings) and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (TIP: Start with hot tap water for faster boiling.) Wash and dry produce. • Trim and quarter zucchini lengthwise; slice crosswise into 1⁄4-inch-thick quarter-moons.
• Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 8 servings), then drain. Keep empty pot handy for Step 4.
• While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef*, zucchini, Italian Seasoning, garlic powder, a big pinch of salt, and pepper. • Cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until zucchini is tender and beef is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. (For 8 servings, work in batches, adding a drizzle of oil between batches.) • Remove pan from heat. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.
• Transfer beef mixture to pot used for pasta; add marinara, tomato paste, stock concentrates, and 1⁄2 cup reserved pasta cooking water (1 cup for 8 servings). Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. TIP: If sauce is too thick, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time. • Turn off heat; add drained penne to pot with sauce and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer pasta to a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dish (use 2 lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking dishes for 8 servings). Carefully dollop ricotta all over pasta and top with mozzarella. • Bake, uncovered, on middle rack until cheese is melted, 10-12 minutes (for 8 servings, bake on top and middle racks, switching rack positions halfway through). • Increase oven temperature to broil; bake until cheese is browned, 2-3 minutes more. TIP: Watch carefully to avoid burning.
• Let baked penne cool for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with as many chili flakes as you like. Serve family style.
Ground beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
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