A pasta bake (or "pasta al forno" if you wanna really impress your guests) is one of the best ways to feed a crowd without sacrificing an ounce of flavor. And the options are limitless — here are 16 ideas to start your creative juices flowing.
Sausage Pasta Bake with Pea and Parmesan Cream
Recipe by Roberta Di Rosa
This is probably my dad's favorite recipe of all time, as it is quite simple yet so tasty! It's an incredibly fast meal, and you can skip the oven, so it will be ready in just twenty minutes (basically the time you need to cook the pasta). However, I'm not going to lie, the crispiness that only the "pasta al forno" Italian style is able to give is on another level.
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Classic Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is enough of an Italian-American classic that multiple plot points in The Sopranos hinge on it. Pasta with gooey cheese in the middle and tangy marinara on top is a winning combo.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Warm oil in large saucepan; cook garlic over medium-low 1 minute until fragrant. Add tomatoes, sauce, oregano, sauce salt, and pepper; gently simmer 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil ziti with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time. Drain without rinsing; fold into sauce.
- Layer half pasta, half ricotta in dollops, and 3 oz mozzarella in deep 9-by-13-inch dish. Repeat remaining pasta and ricotta with another 3 oz mozzarella.
- Top with remaining 4 oz mozzarella and Parmesan. Foil-cover; bake 25 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 10 to 12 minutes until bubbling, center 165°F, and top patchily browned. Rest 10 minutes.
Baked Ziti with Sausage
For a meatier baked ziti, Italian sausage is the natural choice. This recipe also uses provolone, which feels like more of a natural fit than ricotta.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cook sausage and onion in large skillet 9 to 11 minutes, crumbling coarsely, to 160°F. Drain excess fat.
- Stir garlic and fennel 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, water, peppers, sauce salt, and black pepper; simmer 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil ziti with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time; drain. Fold pasta and half provolone into sauce.
- Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish; top with remaining provolone and Parmesan. Foil-cover; bake 25 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes until center 165°F and cheese lightly browned. Rest 10 minutes before spooning into bowls.
Chicken Alfredo Bake
For a creamy pasta bake, chicken Alfredo seems like a good starting point. Here, we're using thighs, which are my personal favorite piece of the chicken and stand up better to baking.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Gently simmer chicken, poaching water, and chicken salt in saucepan; cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes to at least 165°F. Drain; shred into short pieces.
- Meanwhile, brown mushrooms in oil in large skillet 9 to 11 minutes until dry. Boil fusilli with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time; reserve 3/4 cup pasta water and drain.
- Add 2 tablespoons butter and garlic to mushrooms; stir 30 seconds. Add cream, milk, sauce salt, and pepper; gently simmer 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat; add Parmesan. Fold in pasta, chicken, and 1/2 cup reserved water. Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish; foil-cover.
- Bake 20 minutes. Melt remaining tablespoon butter; mix with panko. Uncover; scatter crumbs over.
- Bake uncovered 8 to 10 minutes until crumbs golden and center 165°F. Rest 5 minutes; add remaining warm pasta water around edges only if sauce dry.
Baked Spaghetti
While most pasta bakes use big sheets or small pieces, spaghetti works too. Make sure each strand is covered. You don't want hard little bits of burnt spaghetti ruining an otherwise perfect bite.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cook mushrooms and onion in oil in wide saucepan 10 to 12 minutes until water evaporates. Add garlic 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, sauce, basil, sauce salt, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil spaghetti with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time; drain.
- Thoroughly tong-toss spaghetti with sauce to coat long strands. Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish.
- Scatter mozzarella and Parmesan evenly; foil-cover and bake 20 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes until center 165°F and top lightly patch-browned. Rest 10 minutes; lift with tongs and wide spoon.
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Don't worry, budget-conscious chefs — this is actually a pretty inexpensive dish to prepare. A creamy layer in the middle is what makes this "million dollar," although I'd sub out ricotta for the cottage cheese here.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Brown beef and onion in large skillet 8 to 10 minutes to 160°F; drain excess fat. Add garlic, tomatoes, sauce, oregano, sauce salt, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil spaghetti with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time. Drain; toss with butter and 1 cup meat sauce.
- Mix cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream until spreadable. Layer half spaghetti in deep 9-by-13-inch dish; spread cheese mixture evenly over.
- Add remaining spaghetti, remaining sauce, then mozzarella. Foil-cover; bake 25 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 10 to 12 minutes until bubbling and center 165°F. Rest at least 10 minutes; cut 10 portions.
Baked Penne
Penne is probably my most common pasta bake because it's dead easy and the penne takes on sauce so well. This recipe mixes in browned eggplant, which pairs awfully well with the sauce.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Toss eggplant with 2 tablespoons oil and its salt on rimmed sheet. Roast 22 to 25 minutes, turning once, until tender with browned edges.
- Meanwhile, warm remaining oil in saucepan; stir garlic 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, water, oregano, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.
- Boil penne with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time; drain. Reduce oven to 375°F.
- Fold penne, eggplant, olives, and mozzarella into sauce. Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish; add Parmesan.
- Foil-cover; bake 20 minutes, then uncovered 8 to 10 minutes until center 165°F and surface lightly browned. Rest 10 minutes.
Stuffed Shells Bake
With shells or any other stuffable pasta, the choice of fillings is infinite. Here, butternut squash and ricotta make for a pasta bake full of autumn flavor.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 425°F. Toss squash with oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt; roast on sheet 25 to 30 minutes until very tender. Mash smooth; cool 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil shells with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time. Gently drain; separate on plate. Reduce oven to 375°F.
- Mix cooled squash with ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Melt butter in saucepan; stir flour 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk; simmer 3 minutes until lightly thickened. Add sage and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in deep 9-by-13-inch dish.
- Evenly fill 24 shells; arrange open-side up. Spoon remaining sauce around and partly over; add mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
- Foil-cover; bake 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes until lightly browned and filling 165°F. Rest 10 minutes; serve 3 shells per person.
Baked Rigatoni
Consider this a kissing cousin of lasagna. The beef ragu is the same, the mozzarella topping is the same, but the pasta is rigatoni instead (in case you don't feel like layering a lasagna).
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 325°F. Season beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper; brown in oil in Dutch oven 6 to 8 minutes, turning. Plate.
- Cook carrot and onion 5 minutes; add garlic and paste 1 minute. Return beef; add tomatoes, broth, water, thyme, and remaining salt.
- Cover; braise 2 1/2 to 3 hours until easily shredded. Shred into short strands in sauce; discard large fat pieces. Increase oven to 375°F.
- Boil rigatoni with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain. Fold into ragù with 1/2 cup reserved water, adding more only if sauce too thick to spread.
- Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish; add mozzarella and Parmesan. Foil-cover; bake 25 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes until center 165°F and cheese lightly browned. Rest 10 minutes.
Taco Pasta Bake
If you want a taco-style bake, but are tired of tortillas or rice, orzo makes an intriguing option. This recipe uses turkey, but I'd go for beef.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cook turkey and onion in oil in large skillet 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up meat, to 165°F.
- Stir chili powder, cumin, filling salt, and garlic powder 30 seconds. Add beans, sauce, chiles, and broth; simmer 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil orzo with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time. Drain thoroughly; fold into turkey with 2 oz cheddar.
- Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish; add remaining cheddar. Foil-cover; bake 20 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes until bubbling and center 165°F. Rest 10 minutes before spooning into bowls.
Pizza Pasta Bake
Plenty of people complain that a deep dish really is more like a lasagna than a pizza, and this dish takes the comparison to its logical end. You want to cut this into squares, not scoop out plates of spaghetti, so let it cool a bit before digging in.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 400°F. Boil spaghetti with tablespoon salt to 2 minutes short of package time. Drain; toss with 1 tablespoon oil and spread in large bowl to cool 5 minutes.
- Beat eggs with Parmesan; thoroughly toss through warm, not steaming, noodles. Grease 9-by-13-inch metal pan with remaining oil; press spaghetti into even base.
- Bake base 12 minutes until starting to set. Mix sauce, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Spread sauce over base; add mozzarella, pepperoni, and olives. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until topping bubbles and center 165°F.
- Rest 10 minutes; cut 8 squares with wide spatula.
Cauliflower Ham Pasta Casserole
My creamy, cheesy cauliflower ham pasta casserole is a family favorite meal that uses up leftover holiday ham in a dish that everyone loves! This easy casserole features tender cauliflower, al dente bow tie pasta, salty ham, a tasty Dijon cheese sauce, and crispy Panko breadcrumbs- talk about comfort food!
Recipe and photo: Angela Latimer, Bake It With Love (bakeitwithlove.com)
Get the full recipe at Bake It With Love.
Baked Mostaccioli
If you're getting tired of the usual pastas, mostaccioli makes for a refreshing change. I'd definitely sub out the canned sauce for another can of crushed tomatoes and a squeeze of tomato paste, as I prefer a more natural flavor profile.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Soften onion, carrot, and celery in oil in wide saucepan over medium 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add turkey; cook 7 to 9 minutes, crumbling finely, to 165°F. Add garlic 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes, sauce, seasoning, sauce salt, and pepper; simmer 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil mostaccioli with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time; drain.
- Fold pasta and fontina into sauce; transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish. Scatter mozzarella; foil-cover.
- Bake 25 minutes, then uncovered 8 to 10 minutes until center 165°F and top lightly browned. Rest 10 minutes.
Baked Tortellini
If you're not up to the task of filling pasta, a good-quality cheese tortellini from the fridge works well here. This recipe uses a creamy tomato sauce with pancetta, matching the filling nicely.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Cook pancetta in wide saucepan over medium 6 to 8 minutes until lightly crisp. Leave 1 tablespoon fat; spoon off rest.
- Cook shallot 2 minutes; stir garlic 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, cream, water, and pepper; gently simmer 5 minutes.
- Boil tortellini with tablespoon salt just 1 minute; gently drain. Fold into sauce with frozen peas.
- Transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish; top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Foil-cover; bake 20 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 8 to 10 minutes until central tortellino filling and surrounding sauce reach 165°F. Rest 5 minutes.
Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake
This really is a chicken casserole as much as a pasta bake. I'd probably do a blue cheese sauce instead of a cheddar sauce, but up to you.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oven to 375°F. Gently simmer chicken, poaching water, and chicken salt in saucepan; cover and cook 20 to 25 minutes to at least 165°F. Drain; shred.
- Meanwhile, boil shells with tablespoon salt to 3 minutes short of package time; drain. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in saucepan; whisk flour 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk; gently simmer 3 to 4 minutes until lightly thickened. Remove from heat; add cheddar, hot sauce, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Fold in pasta and chicken; transfer to deep 9-by-13-inch dish. Foil-cover; bake 25 minutes.
- Melt remaining butter; mix with panko. Uncover; add blue cheese and crumbs. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden and center 165°F.
- Rest 10 minutes before serving.
Italian Pasta Bake featuring Jarlsberg
Layers of pasta, fresh tomatoes, homemade breadcrumbs, and nutty Jarlsberg® come together for a hearty family meal that is easy to make and sure to please! A cross between a baked ziti, a crisped pasta pie, and pan fried spaghetti, today's pasta bake is a hardy combination of breadcrumb crusted ziti, melted cheese, fresh basil and tomatoes, which all comes together to create a hardy, family friendly meal.
Recipe by Catherine Pappas, Living the Gourmet
Get the full recipe at Living the Gourmet.
Bechamel Pasta Bake (Macarona Bechamel)
This bechamel pasta bake, also called macarona bechamel or pastitsio, is an amazingly flavorful dinner casserole! It combines rigatoni noodles with a seasoned ground beef filling and a rich bechamel white sauce!
Recipe and photo: Angela Latimer, Bake It With Love (bakeitwithlove.com)
Get the full recipe at Bake It With Love.
Undercooking pasta before it bakes
Most dry tube shapes in these recipes leave the boiling water about three minutes before the package time. That is a starting point, not a reason to ignore the noodle in front of you. Bite one: the outside should bend, while the center still has a firm line that would be too hard to serve straight from the pot. The sauce and covered oven time finish that center. Fully tender pasta has nowhere useful to go during another half hour of cooking, so it tends to swell, split or lose its ridges.
Filled pasta and egg noodles need different treatment. Refrigerated tortellini gets only a brief boil, while wide egg noodles need less undercooking than thick rigatoni. Jumbo shells should bend enough to fill without tearing but still feel firm at the curved edge. Drain without rinsing so a little surface starch stays available to help the sauce cling, and separate shells promptly so they don’t glue together. Reserve pasta water when the individual recipe calls for it rather than adding a cup automatically to every pan.
Look at the sauce before assembly. Tomato bakes need enough flowing sauce to coat the pasta, and white sauces should be looser than a finished stovetop coating because they thicken further in the oven. Covering traps moisture while the center heats; uncovering at the end browns the surface. If the top is already brown but the pasta is still firm, replace the foil and keep cooking instead of adding more dry cheese over the problem.
Assembling a pasta bake the day before
Cook the meat and sauce, undercook the pasta and let the components cool before packing the baking dish for the refrigerator. Divide hot mixtures into shallow containers so they cool promptly, and refrigerate within two hours. Don’t leave a deep, warm casserole on the counter waiting to become completely cold. If the filling contains egg, as the ricotta shells or spinach bake do, let hot pasta or squash stop steaming before mixing it into the egg mixture so you don’t create cooked egg streaks during assembly.
Assemble up to twenty-four hours ahead, cover and refrigerate. A metal pan is convenient because it can go from the refrigerator into the oven without the thermal-shock concern of cold glass. Keep breadcrumb toppings separate and add them at the stage specified in the recipe so they stay crisp. A chilled casserole usually needs fifteen to twenty-five extra covered minutes, and a dense pan can need longer. Check the center for 165°F before the final uncovered browning, rather than judging only by bubbling edges.
The pasta absorbs sauce overnight, so a chilled tray can look firmer than it did at assembly. Keep the original sauce a little loose, but don’t pour extra liquid over every recipe by habit; a tomato bake and an egg-bound spaghetti base need different handling. Rest the finished pan for five to ten minutes as directed, then portion it. Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use them within three to four days, reheating portions through to 165°F.
