20 Pasta Bake Recipes for Comfort Food Tonight, and Leftovers Tomorrow

These cozy baked pasta are bound to become everyone's favorites.

By

Esther Reynolds

Updated on May 20, 2024

Baked sausage and kale shells — Photo:
Justin Walker

If we were ranking classic comfort foods, pasta bake recipes would probably take the top spot. With their crispy edges and bubbling interiors, they satisfy like no other dish can. And while lasagna or noodles may get all the limelight, there are plenty of other pasta shapes that are right at home in a baking dish.

Ranging from rich and decadent to light and nutritious, these pasta bakes are hard to resist. Another plus? Most can be prepped ahead and baked when it's time to eat. So preheat your oven and get some water boiling: it's pasta bake time.

01 of 20

Baked Penne With Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Loaded with chopped chicken, sliced mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and provolone cheese, this Italian-inspired bake is perfect for when you're craving something hearty and packed with flavor. Even better, the recipe makes enough for two separate meals, so you can stash one in the freezer for later.

02 of 20

Creamy Baked Ziti

creamy baked ziti — Bryan Gardner

This meatless main leans on cream cheese for richness and couldn't be easier to pull together. Serve with a big green salad to balance out the creaminess.

03 of 20

Lasagna With Meat Sauce

Lasagna with Meat Sauce — Brie Goldman

A blend of ground beef and Italian sausage bulk up the meat sauce in this classic-for-a-reason lasagna. Three cheeses—mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan Reggiano—add creamy perfection while no-boil noodles make assembly a breeze.

04 of 20

Spinach Manicotti in Creamy Tomato Sauce

A clever trick for stuffing the pasta tubes (spoiler alert: pipe it!) makes baked manicotti easier than ever to pull off while a touch of cream in the marinara adds just the right amount of richness.

05 of 20

John Legend's Mac and Cheese

John Legend's Mac and Cheese - slice on a plate — Andrea Araiza

We have Grammy- and Oscar-award-winning musician, actor, and music producer John Legend to thank for this baked macaroni and cheese recipe. The key to achieving cheesy bliss in every bite? Alternating layers of noodles and cheese in the baking dish.

06 of 20

Creamy Baked Tortellini With Spinach

creamy baked spinach tortellini — Nico Schinco

Our baked tortellini recipe employs a few tricks to pull together a super satisfying dinner in no time: We stir a bit of cream cheese and adobo seasoning into a quick-cooking turkey ragu to enrich its flavor and texture, then sneak in a hefty amount of spinach to up the vegetable quotient. The best part? It's on the table in 35 minutes flat.

07 of 20

Very Vegetable Lasagna

Anson Smart

Rather than simply sneaking a bit of produce into the filling, this vegetarian lasagna recipe ups the ante by replacing some of the noodles with planks of zucchini. Very vegetable indeed.

08 of 20

Chicken-and-Gnocchi Bake With Broccolini

chicken-and-gnocchi bake with broccolini — Lennart Weibull

Baked pasta recipes are not just about noodles—here, pillowy gnocchi are tossed with shredded chicken, tender broccolini, and a mixture of Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses. A pack of store-bought gnocchi and a rotisserie chicken make this dish extra easy.

09 of 20

Tuna Casserole

Tuna Casserole — Rachel Marek

To keep our tuna casserole from drying out, we make a quick, creamy sauce from sauteed onion, chicken broth, and milk, then fold in al dente pasta, canned tuna, and peas. A crunchy topping of panko and Parmesan turns golden brown in the oven while the savory noodle mixture bubbles underneath.

10 of 20

Three-Cheese Skillet Lasagna

Make a quick, garlicky tomato sauce and break lasagna noodles into pieces, then layer both in a skillet with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses for a more casual, scoopable twist on lasagna.

11 of 20

Sausage-and-Kale Stuffed Shells

Sausage and Kale Stuffed Shells — Justin Walker

Put in the work ahead of time and be rewarded with a satisfying supper at a later date. In this made-for-the-freezer recipe, a blend of wilted kale and spicy sausage adds nutrients, flavor, and heft.

12 of 20

Baked Shells and Broccoli With Cheesy-Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

Baked Shells — Chris Testani

In this lightened-up pasta bake, an easy cauliflower sauce—enriched with salty pecorino cheese—coats a combination of whole-wheat shells, smoked ham, and broccoli, while a handful of whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs adds a final touch of crunch.

13 of 20

Baked Ziti With Sausage and Bechamel

baked ziti with sausage and bechamel — Lennart Weibull

Creamy bechamel sauce and savory Italian sausage are layered with noodles in this decadent baked ziti recipe. While a bit more labor-intensive than other baked pasta recipes, it'll all pay off when you pull this stunner out of the oven.

14 of 20

Kugel Muffins

kugel muffins — Chris Simpson

Noodle kugel is typically served during the Jewish holidays, but this sweet and savory bake is good enough to whip up as an anytime side or brunch dish—even more so when it's fun-size, just like this recipe.

15 of 20

Baked Broccoli-and-Artichoke Shells

Baked Broccoli-and-Artichoke Shells — Ryan Liebe

Rather than stuffing the pasta shells, we combine them with crisp bacon, broccoli, and artichokes and bathe the whole thing in a creamy cheddar cheese sauce. A sprinkling of crispy panko and a 20-minute stint in the oven later, a seriously delicious dinner is served.

16 of 20

Tuna-Noodle Casserole With Cauliflower

Linda Pugliese

We give tuna casserole a lighter look by swapping in pappardelle noodles and adding an entire pound of cauliflower (which cooks alongside the pasta to cut down on dishes). There's no cheese in this version, just a creamy sauce kicked up with a few dashes of Tabasco.

17 of 20

Speedy Baked Ziti

Super-Speedy Baked Ziti — Lennart Weibull

Sweet or spicy Italian sausage, marinara sauce, and cheese are baked in the same skillet to produce a delicious meal that's quick enough for busy weeknights.

18 of 20

Famous Lasagna

lasagna — Yunhee Kim

One bite of this layered masterpiece and you'll know why this dish got its name. To speed up the process, you can swap in a jar of store-bought marinara for the homemade meat sauce and no-boil noodles for dry.

19 of 20

Chicken Tetrazzini

Chicken Tetrazzini — David Loftus

White wine, thyme, mushrooms, and frozen peas add flavor and heft to this light and lovely chicken tetrazzini recipe. Make it your own—or simply use up the ingredients you have on hand—by switching up the herbs or incorporating a mix of cheeses.

20 of 20

Baked Spaghetti and Mozzarella

Par-cooking the noodles keeps them from turning to mush while this simple, garlicky spaghetti recipe does its thing in the oven. We love the mild flavor that fresh mozzarella, which is chopped and scattered on top, contributes to the dish.

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