17 Baked Pastas To Make for Dinner This Week

From classic tuna casserole to baked spaghetti, find your next favorite pasta bake right here.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Updated November 11, 2024
Devan Grimsrud
Spoonful of Johnny Marzetti Casserole lifted from the casserole dish, and in the surroundings, a red pot holder and a bowl of mixed greens salad

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

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 17 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

    My family's 5-ingredient pasta bake

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "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

    Ham and Cheese Casserole Pasta Bake warm out of the oven
    Elise Bauer

    "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

    Ottolenghi One-Pan Spaghetti Topped With the Breadcrumb Mixture in a Dutch Oven

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "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

    Casserole dish of cheesy baked ziti

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Bakes

    "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

    Continue to 5 of 17 below

  • Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole

    Classic Tuna Noodle Casserole in cast iron skillet

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "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

    One pan baked penne alla vodka on a plate at a table setting with a plate of side salad, two drinks, and a small plate of basil

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "To make it dairy-free, use coconut cream and vegan shredded mozzarella." —Julie and Amy Luxemberg, Simply Recipes Contributors

  • Cauliflower Pasta Bake

    Cauliflower Pasta Bake
    Sally Vargas

    "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

    Manicotti Removed From Casserole Dish Filled With Manicotti Using a Wooden Spoon

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "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

    Continue to 9 of 17 below

  • Chili Mac and Cheese

    Spoon in Chili Mac Dish
    Aaron Hutcherson

    "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

  • Pizza Casserole

    Scoop of pizza casserole.

    Simply Recipes / Hannah Zimmerman

    "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

    Old fashioned turkey tetrazzini recipe in a casserole dish.

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "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

    Spoonful of Johnny Marzetti Casserole lifted from the casserole dish, and in the surroundings, a stack of plates and a bowl of mixed greens salad

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "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

    Continue to 13 of 17 below

  • Baked Spaghetti

    Baked Spaghetti

    Simply Recipes / Cambrea Gordon

    "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

    A casserole dish of stuffed shells
    Elise Bauer

    "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

    Kraft mac and cheese - woman's hands holding a white casserole dish filled with baked mac and cheese
    Alison Bickle

    "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

    Overhead view of chicken and pasta casserole serving on a blue plate next to a dish of casserole, table napkin and drinking glass with ice and beverage

    Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu

    "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

    Continue to 17 of 17 below

  • Butternut Squash Lasagna

    Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe
    Sally Vargas

    "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

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