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.
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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.
🥘 Ingredients
- Rotelle pasta - circular paste that holds lots of sauce.
- Meatless ground beef - adds more taste and texture to the casserole.
- Coconut oil - a delicious oil that great for browning.
- White onion - is more tender than yellow onion and stands out well in taste.
- Tomatoes - for that true Italian sauce.
- Tomato paste - concentrated rich tomatoes.
- Water - for thinning out the sauce and then you cook it down again.
- Dried oregano - is aromatic and has an earthy flavor.
- Garlic powder - goes a long way in the flavor department by using just a little bit.
- Dairy-free cheese - a white cheese such as mozarella would be perfect.
🔪 Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to directions and then set aside. It is usually about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a large skillet add coconut oil and heat to medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
- 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.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes.
- Turn off the stovetop.
- Add the pasta and incorporate it into the sauce.
- Pour everything into a large 9" x 13" casserole and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the grated dairy-free cheese over the top.
- Bake in a 350°F degree oven for 20 minutes.
📋 Recipe
📋 Recipe
Easy Rotelle Pasta Casserole
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
- ½ cup onion white, diced
- 14 ounces tomatoes can diced, can be 15 ounces
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 10 ounces dairy-free cheese grated, such as mozarella
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to directions and then set aside. It is usually about 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a large skillet add coconut oil and heat to medium high heat.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.
- 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.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat, cover and cook 15 minutes.
- Turn off the stove top.
- Add the pasta and incorporate it into the sauce.
- Pour everything into a large 9" x 13" casserole and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the grated dairy free cheese over the top.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
DeAnne
Could I just use regular macaroni? Would I use the same amount?
Ginny McMeans
I've never tried it with Macaroni but it would probably turn out ok. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a try.