29 Baked Pasta Recipes Full of Crispy-Edged, Cheesy-Centered Joy
Whenever it’s cold enough to want to fire up the oven, we look for baked pasta recipes to make for dinner. A big plate of pasta is always a comfort, but it gets even better when that silky, creamy texture meets a hit of crunch—especially in a make-ahead, large-format casserole or skillet. Below you’ll see how varied this category of dishes can be. You’ll find our favorite lasagnas for holiday feasts (both meaty and vegetarian) and some easy dinners for the family…or for a luxurious meal on the couch, cozied under a soft blanket. Pull a baking dish out of the cupboard and scroll down.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich1/29Easy, Cheesy Sausage Lasagna
There are many ways to make a lasagna that take all day, but this crowd-pleasing version with layers of no-boil noodles, ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and a quick but flavorful meat sauce made with spicy Italian sausage isn’t that kind of project. And like many baked pasta recipes, you can assemble this lasagna and keep it in your refrigerator for a few days before baking.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell2/29Sheet-Pan Pasta Bake With Chicken and Kale
Baking pasta on a sheet pan means so much more crispy topping per bite. Start with a rotisserie chicken for a particularly quick meal.
Photo by Andrew Bui4/29Baked Pasta Primavera
If you’ve seen the viral baked feta pasta, you're familiar with the move of putting something creamy in a casserole dish with some veggies, letting it melt in the oven, then stirring in cooked pasta. In this recipe from Let’s Eat by Dan Pelosi, one of our top cookbooks of 2023, the creamy part is tangy cream cheese, and the vegetables include broccolini, asparagus, and shallot. Stir in cooked farfalle, frozen peas, Parmesan, and mint for a fresh and cheesy, saucy dinner.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton6/29Turkey Tetrazzini
There is no better thing to do with holiday turkey leftovers than this simple and savory baked spaghetti dish—outside of the holiday season, make it with the meat from a rotisserie chicken.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne7/29Baked Rigatoni With Red Peppers and Green Olives
Photo by Eva Kolenko9/29Spicy Unstuffed Pasta Shells With Roasted Garlic and Chèvre
Stuffing shells can be fun once in a while, but this easy pasta is much less fussy and much more weeknight-friendly. Instead of a ricotta cheese mixture here, this dish gets dollops of fresh chèvre on top. The total time required: 35 minutes, and active prep time is just 15 minutes.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton11/29Four-Cheese Manicotti
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert12/29Sheet-Pan Mac and Cheese
Love a crispy edge above all else? Here’s your new family favorite. Serve with one of these kale salads or roasted zucchini and everyone’s happy.
Photo by Charles Masters, Food Styling by Suzanne Lenzer13/29Our Favorite Lasagna With Sausage, Spinach, and Three Cheeses
The key to success here is a mix of hearty sausage, fresh spinach, and a balanced three-cheese blend. The quick-cooking sauce and no-fuss no-boil noodles make this recipe fun, not taxing. (If you’re looking for lasagna vibes on a much shorter timeline, consider this quick ravioli situation, which just finishes in a quick high-heat oven.)
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce16/29Vegetarian Lasagna With Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce
For a meatless lasagna with depth, roast the sauce to concentrate its flavors before you start layering. If you have a source for buying fresh pasta sheets, you won’t have to mess with boiling noodles in a large pot before layering them with olive oil-slicked cooked greens, ricotta, tomato sauce, and provolone.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Pearl Jones17/29Cacio e Pepe Pie
This riff on the Italian classic gets baked in a springform pan for easy unmolding, then topped with more Parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Spencer Richards, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman19/29BA’s Best Baked Ziti
Photo by Alex Lau20/29Cheesy Baked Pasta With Cauliflower
Chopped cauliflower adds earthy sweetness and turns as tender as the pasta in this dish. Maybe you don’t even need a vegetable on the side, but you could add these roasted carrots with pistachio pesto.
Photograph by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio22/29Baked Pasta and Leeks With Anchovy Cream
Anchovies, garlic, and cream are an unbeatable savory trio that helps to highlight the sweetness of the leek sauté.
Photo by David Malosh, Prop Styling by Cindy DiPrima, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich23/29Spicy Baked Pasta With Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe
Photo by Alex Lau, Prop Styling by Heather Greene, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou24/29Sausage and Ricotta Baked Cannelloni
If you’re not up for making béchamel, skip this one and move on. The creamy sauce is essential here—but you can absolutely pair it with store-bought marinara sauce.
Photo by Maura McEvoy25/29Baked Penne With Green Chiles
Looking for something to eat while you watch the game with friends? Make sure you have a can of diced green chiles, a can of crushed tomatoes, some Dijon mustard, and cheddar to make this dish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson26/29Baked Stuffed Shells
Be sure to drain your ricotta before mixing it with fresh mozzarella, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, parsley, and egg to make the filling for these jumbo shells.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers29/29Mushroom and Burrata Lasagnette
Here’s a romantic meal idea: a little lasagna for two. You can assemble this ahead and bake it after work, so it’s about as low-stress and high-reward as baked pasta recipes get.
