Paccheri Pasta

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Paccheri Pasta is going to knock your socks off with a rich and flavorful red wine tomato sauce with tender pasta, Italian sausage, and ooey gooey cheese. It couldn’t possibly get any better! 

paccheri pasta in pan on table


 

There’s just something about home cooked Italian flavors that warm me from the inside out — starting from my stomach!

The aroma of the herbs, yummy pasta, and ooey gooey cheese topping is all I need in a comfort dish. 

This particular Italian pasta recipe uses paccheri, Italian sausage and ground beef, and some common Italian herbs and seasonings for a pretty simple but outrageously tasty meal!

measured ingredients in bowls for paccheri pasta

Paccheri Pasta

Sausage, pasta, cheese, and red sauce. Does it get any better than that? This is a dish you can make all year, for lunch or dinner, and on any occasion!

Love cheese, sausage, and Italian flavors? Try my cheesy pasta and sausage recipe! It all comes together in one pot, and reheats like a dream. It’s my favorite to meal prep!

And don’t hesitate to get more traditional with Italian gnocchi, savory Zuppa Toscana soup or our homemade tortellini.

Trust me — it’s not as tricky as you think to get authentic Mediterranean meals on your dinner table.

combining ingredients for sauce in skillet

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • Italian Sausage – Mild or hot, it’s totally your call. And if you want to use links instead of ground meat, just be sure to remove the casings beforehand.
  • Ground Beef – I recommend choosing a pack with a good bit of fat to it for the best flavor — don’t go any leaner than 80%.

    You can use ground chicken or turkey if you’d like to use something leaner, but keep in mind it’ll be a tad more dry.
  • Red Wine – Something dry with some body to it. I like to use Cabernet Sauvignon!
  • Italian Seasoning – If you have dried oregano, thyme, rosemary, and basil, then I have good news!

    You don’t need to purchase a separate Italian blend. Just use a mix of these classic Italian herbs and you’re good to go.
  • Mozzarella & Parmesan – I like a lot of cheese — can you tell? Feel free to halve the amount of cheese. You can even skip it altogether and serve the ragu over the pasta instead!
  • Italian Flat Leaf Parsley – I just love this peppery herb! It’s an absolutely gorgeous garnish, and it also has a great flavor.

What is the difference between paccheri and rigatoni?

Paccheri, or pacceri,  pasta is a large, flat tubed noodle. It’s wider, but shorter than rigatoni. At the end of the day, a noodle is just a noodle!

Feel free to use rigatoni in this Italian pasta recipe, or any other noodle that you like. Though I do recommend using a tubed noodle!

adding pasta to sauce in skillet

Tips To Make This Italian Pasta Recipe Perfectly

Use Fresh Aromatics

Level up the flavor with fresh garlic and onions! While browning the sausage and beef, toss the garlic and onion in a pan with some butter.

The aroma, texture, and flavor throughout the skillet is out of this world!

Fresh Herbs

A collection of fresh oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary would absolutely be better than using the dried stuff! Just compensate by using a bit more.

Season the Water

When boiling the noodles, be sure to heavily salt the water. Don’t be shy! The water should taste as salty as the sea.

added shredded cheese to top of pasta on skillet

Storing and Reheating Leftover Paccheri

Store leftover baked paccheri in an airtight container. Kept in the fridge, it’ll stay fresh for up to 4 days. If you decide to freeze your leftover noodles, they’ll keep for up to a month!

To reheat, I recommend putting it in the oven at 350°F. until it warms through. You can also microwave it, but use short 20 second bursts.

The noodles don’t take long to heat up, so keep an eye on it and don’t microwave for too long!

PRO TIP

Sprinkle some more cheese on top and broil for a fresh baked cheese topping.

finished skillet of paccheri pasta

Paccheri Pasta FAQ

How long do you cook paccheri?

Each package can have slightly different instructions, so give it a quick read. In general, though, it’ll take less than 10 minutes.

And because we’re just cooking to al dente, it’ll take even less time than that!

What sauce goes best with paccheri pasta?

For this Italian pasta recipe, I make a tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning.

I add a bit of beef stock to tie together the flavors of the dish together, then sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Simple, yet scrumptious!

You can use this sauce for all of your favorite types of noodles.

close up of paccheri pasta with ooey gooey cheese

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finished paccheri pasta being served

Other Easy Italian Pasta Recipes

paccheri pasta in skillet

Paccheri Pasta

Donna Elick
Paccheri Pasta is full of rich sausage, fresh herbs, and gooey cheese. This hearty Italian pasta recipe is easy to make, in only an hour!
5 stars from 3 reviews
Tried this recipe?Please comment and review!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Method Stovetop
Servings 6

Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 pound hot italian sausage
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon
  • 14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 16 ounces Paccheri pasta, my pkg. was 13.25 oz. but you can use up to 16 oz.
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Italian flat parsley, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet, brown ground beef and ground sausage over medium heat. Drain any excess fat.
  • Add red wine to the skillet and cook 1 minute longer.
  • Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to the skillet and bring to a low boil.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
  • Stir drained pasta into the sauce until evenly combined.
  • Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
  • Broil in the oven for 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
  • Top with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot.

Donna’s Notes

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
This is a hearty dish with a rich, full of flavor ragu sauce.
You can skip the cheese topping and simply serve the ragu sauce over the cooked pasta.
Saute fresh garlic (3-4 minced cloves) and/or diced white onion (½ – 1 cup) while browning the meats instead of using garlic and onion powder.
This is a generous cheese top. You can reduce the amount of cheese if you prefer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 701cal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1567mg | Sugar: 8g | Fiber: 5g | Calcium: 447mg | Iron: 4mg

All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
paccheri pasta with serving spoon in pan
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6 Comments

  1. Ms. Donna, I’ve tried some of ur recipes. They’re very good!! I know u use wine in ur recipes, but what can I use in place of it? I’m a dialysis & diabetic pt. Also, how much fresh herbs to use? Thank u!!

    1. Hi Vicki!
      I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipes! A good alcohol/wine replacement that I use often is cooking stock. In the case of Paccheri, I would use an equal amount of chicken stock. You could even use tap water if you don’t have stock or broth on hand.
      Considering your medical conditions, I suggest you check with your doctor to confirm that it’s a safe alternative for you to use. Thank you for your comment!

      TSRI Team member,
      Becca

  2. 5 stars
    Very good dish. Did not use tomato paste because It’s too strong for me. Substituted with tomato sauce and apx. one tbs paste and it was perfect. Really enjoyed it, thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was fabulous. Sautéed spinach and mushrooms as a side. Thanks, it was as simple and easy.

  4. 5 stars
    Really liked it. I saw this pasta at a meat market and snapped it right up. I’ve become interested in pasta shapes that make the pasta the focus of the bite, not just something to get the sauce to your mouth. The problem is I’m married. The wife wanted the pasta cooked american style (at least an extra 5 minutes). And the discussion at the table was what to do with the Paccheri pasta; eat it whole of cut it! I say eat it whole to get the experience that the makers of the pasta were going for when they made it. She argued that she’s a petite person who can’t eat a piece whole so she cut it. So i give it 5 stars, would eat again, but I think we’re going back to the rigatoni.

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