Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole

Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole is comfort food to the max.  All gets tossed together and baked for a cozy meal the whole family will love.

Italian style casseroles are welcome any season of the year.  Just ask my husband.  If I am not sure what to make for dinner he’ll say pasta.  When that pasta is all layered in a casserole then all the better.  All that’s left to place on the table is crusty bread and a salad.

My preference is to pre-cook pasta before putting together the casserole.  I know there are many recipes when you can throw in the uncooked pasta and bake it all at once but I really do taste all the extra starch.

Do you have boxes and bags of different kinds of pasta in your cupboards?  Me too!  Actually, I am a visual type of person so all my pasta, beans and rice are in large kitchen jars, right on my shelves.  I had Ed build me two levels of shelves on the bottom end of each counter and it looks so pretty.  Easy to see at a glance too.

One problem that I think lots of people have is trying to find things in their cupboards.  The glass jars solve a lot of my problems.  Another helpful cabinet I have is a shallow one.  It’s only 8″ deep on the side cabinets and 10″ deep in the center. Ed built it for me to look like a built in cabinet.  That took about 10 years to get but he is very happy with it too.  Whew!  Two can deep and two cans high and I can find things with a snap of the fingers.

So I started pulling out the ingredients for Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole and I was ready to go in about 2 minutes.  Did I mention everything is probably already in your cupboard?  Go for it and get your ingredients lined up too so that you can have a delicious supper tonight.

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Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole

Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole is comfort food to the max.

Course Main Dish

Recipe Type Pasta

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 6 Squares

Calories 477 kcal

Author Ginny McMeans

Ingredients

• 1 box rotelle pasta 12 to 16 ounces
• 1 package meatless ground beef 12 to 16 ounces, such as Gardein
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup onion white, diced
• 14 ounces tomatoes can diced, can be 15 ounces
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 10 ounces dairy-free cheese grated, such as mozarella

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to directions and then set aside. It is usually about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. In a large skillet add coconut oil and heat to medium high heat.
3. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
4. To the skillet add the plant based ground beef. Separate with a wooden spoon and cook a minute or so until it resembles small crumbles.
5. Add the remaining ingredients.
6. Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cover and cook 15 minutes.
7. Turn off the stove top.
8. Add the pasta and incorporate it into the sauce.
9. Pour everything into a large 9" x 13" casserole and spread out evenly.
10. Sprinkle the grated dairy free cheese over the top.
11. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes

IF FREEZING:

Freeze before baking only. Please follow any of the directions defined in my article How to Freeze Food

TO PREPARE AFTER FREEZING:

Take out of freezer and put in the refrigerator at least 6 to 8 hours before baking (or the day before). Bake, covered at 350° for 20 minutes and then uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole

Amount Per Serving (1 Square)

Calories 477 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13g 20%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Sodium 566mg 24%

Potassium 451mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 73g 24%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 5g

Protein 12g 24%

Vitamin A 14.3%

Vitamin C 15%

Calcium 6.6%

Iron 11.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.