This Easy 1-Pot Baked Penne Is Grandma Approved

We absolutely know we don’t need to tell you that the holiday season is incredibly busy. Between the shopping, menu and meal prep, and all the White Elephant parties and other festive get-togethers, the winter months are pure chaos.

And, to make matters worse, in between your hectic schedule, you still need to find time to get dinner on the table. So, in times like these, we look to the simplest, quickest recipes that can feed the whole family with minimal prep, without constant monitoring.

All we can say is thank goodness for one-pot meals—and thank goodness for everyone’s favorite TikTok grandma, Babs.

Barbara "Babs" Costello, known on TikTok as Brunch with Babs, recently teamed up with Creamette to release a baked penne recipe that is sure to save you time in the kitchen this winter.

The cheesy, sausage-packed baked pasta is ready in about 40 minutes and can be made entirely in your Dutch oven. Those stovetop-to-oven gadgets really are a timesaver, but you can also use a regular skillet and transfer the pasta into your 9x13 if you don’t mind dirtying a second dish.

“My secret tip is the pasta cooks right in the pan,” Babs says.

That’s right; you don’t have to worry about boiling your pasta separately because it boils right in the sauce on the stove. It doesn’t get much simpler for those busy winter days when you’re craving a warm, comfort food meal—but don’t want to put too much effort into it.

Babs’ partnership with Creamette doesn’t stop there, either. Because what would Babs—and many other grandmas—be without a festive sweater? So, in the spirit of the holiday season, Creamette and Babs are combining two very important things: family traditions and festive sweaters.

Creamette is hosting a giveaway for 100 fans to win custom pasta recipe sweaters designed by real-life grandmas. All you have to do is submit your favorite family pasta recipe to Creamette’s site by Nov. 29, and you could win an embroidered sweater with your pasta recipe’s name—plus a year’s supply of Creamette pasta.

No matter if you win the sweater or not, you can still try the recipe from Babs’ pasta sweater: her baked pasta. Here’s how to make it.

How to Make Babs' Baked Penne

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed) 
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed 
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional) 
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes with their juice 
• 1/4 cup basil leaves, additional 1/4 cup basil leaves for topping (optional) 
• kosher salt
• 1 pound box dried Creamette Penne 
• 8 ounces freshly grated mozzarella (about 2 cups by volume) 
• 8 ounces whole milk ricotta (about 1 cup by volume) 
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
  

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in a deep, 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into skillet. Make sure to break up more as it cooks. Stir occasionally for 5-7 minutes until the meat is just browning. Add garlic, oregano, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and their juice. Add 1/4 cup basil and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
4. Stir in pasta and 1 cup water, and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and fold in about 1/2 of the mozzarella.
5. If transferring from the Dutch oven, pour mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to the preheated oven.
6. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is lightly golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, and serve!

This recipe was developed by Barbara Costello in a partnership with Creamette.