18 Baked Pastas To Make for Dinner This Week
Comforting and crowd pleasing, if you're on the hunt for a new pasta bake, these 18 recipes are here for you. You'll find our take on classics like baked ziti and lasagna, plus a few unexpected bakes if you want to try something new.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: pasta is one of my favorite go-to weeknight dinners. It's quick, easy, versatile, and always satisfying.
A pasta bake is like a stepped up version of your typical weeknight pasta, often covered in cheese or breadcrumbs. Sometimes they take a little bit more work to pull off (I'm talking about you, lasagna!), but oftentimes they only take one extra step and even give you a little hands-off time to clean up the kitchen or relax on the couch before digging in.
These 18 pasta bakes span the gamut from classics to something new, and I'm sure there's at least one in here that you can promptly put on your to-cook list. Don't forget to read the tips and tricks from our editors, contributors, and readers!
5-Ingredient Pasta Bake
"Since the pasta will be cooked twice, it’s better to slightly undercook it during its initial boil. Check it two minutes before you expect it to be done to determine texture. It should still be a little hard." —Sara Haas, Simply Recipes Contributor
Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
"Nutmeg is an essential spice for the white sauce. That said, it is easy to overdo it. Start with a small amount, 1/4 teaspoon, and add more if needed." —Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes Founder
Ottolenghi's One-Pan Crispy Spaghetti and Chicken
"The recipe is laid out to help you multitask. Prep the onion and garlic while the chicken browns and make the breadcrumbs, wipe your countertops, and wash the cutting board, while the chicken and pasta cook. By the time you serve dinner, your kitchen will be spanking clean." —Devan Grimsrud, Simply Recipes Contributor
Baked Ziti
"If you don't have Italian seasoning in the pantry, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme." —Elise
Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole
"I discovered this recipe years ago and have made it MANY times since. It's a great dish to bring to gatherings because you can assemble it all beforehand and then just put it in the oven for 20 mins when you get to your destination. The recipe is awesome as is - I tweak it a little by adding 3-4 cloves of garlic, peas in addition to broccoli/mushrooms, and Salt and Pepper Kettle chips crumbled on top." —Cari, Simply Recipes Reader
One-Pan Baked Penne alla Vodka
"To make it dairy-free, use coconut cream and vegan shredded mozzarella." —Julie and Amy Luxemberg, Simply Recipes Contributors
Cauliflower Pasta Bake
"I recently learned a great trick: Toss hot pasta in Parmesan as soon as you drain it. The hot pasta melts the Parmesan and absorbs all that cheesy goodness." —Sally
Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
"Drain the ricotta if it is runny. You can eliminate extra moisture from runny ricotta by spreading it between a few layers of paper towels and pressing to dry it. This keeps the filling from leaking out of the shells, making the baked pasta runny rather than firm." —Sally Vargas, Simply Recipes Contributor
Chili Mac and Cheese
"This chili mixture is mild in terms of the spice level, so heat seekers might want to add in some crushed red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño." —Aaron Hutcherson, Simply Recipes Contributor
Roast Chicken on Angel Hair Pasta
"Look for chicken legs (thigh and drumstick attached) at the meat counter at your grocery store. If you can't find them, then buy two bone-in, skin-on thighs and two drumsticks, or buy a whole chicken and spatchcock it before roasting." —Sheryl Julian, Simply Recipes Contributor
Pizza Casserole
"Make it a vegetarian dish by leaving out the sausage and pepperoni or use a vegetarian sausage alternative." —Hannah Zimmerman, Simply Recipes Contributor
Turkey Tetrazzini
"I made this pretty much as read with a few tweaks: I substituted Gruyère for Swiss because that’s what I had on hand, as I did with white wine instead of sherry. We’re from New Orleans, so for us, comfort food has some heat to it, so I put a good bit of coarse black pepper and enough cayenne to leave a bit of heat in the back of the throat without affecting the other flavors too much." —Flora, Simply Recipes Reader
Johnny Marzetti Casserole
"If you’d like a saucier casserole, feel free to dump some extra jarred marinara sauce in there before you bake it." —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Senior Editor
Baked Spaghetti
"Save time on prep by chopping the onions and mushrooms while the sausage is cooking, and grating the cheese while the pasta is cooking." —Elise
Sausage, Spinach, Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells
"Excellent recipe. The only things i did that deviated from the recipe were that I omitted the breadcrumbs and used a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses for the top of the shells. I used crushed italian seasoned tomatoes. They came out perfect. Will be making this one again." —Sierra, Simply Recipes Reader
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese
"From what I’ve read, pre-shredded cheese is less smooth because anti-caking agents are added. I prefer to shred my own cheese for two reasons. First, I can buy higher quality cheese, and second, I get a smoother texture when I shred it myself." —Summer Miller, Simply Recipes Contributor
Marry Me Chicken Casserole
"If you would like to use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, you can swap the cutlets for 2 to 3 cups of shredded chicken, mixing it into the sauce along with the pasta." —Nick Evans, Simply Recipes Contributor
Butternut Squash Lasagna
"I made this but subbed in store bought butternut squash ravioli for the lasagna noodles and butternut squash mixture to save time. The bechamel sauce in this recipe is to DIE FOR! I used a mixture of fontina, mozzarella and parmesan in between the layers and on top, baked til lightly browned and bubbly." —Rosemary
