How to Make a Pasta Bake

Co-authored by Derricka Clayton

Last Updated: December 13, 2024

Ever wanted to make a delicious baked pasta dish? There are lots of ways of making one, but the most popular recipes involve a tomato-based pasta sauce and lots of cheese. Whichever version you choose to make, it is both easy and delicious. There is a trick to getting just right, however!

Ingredients

Vegetarian Pasta Bake^{[1]
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16 ounces (450 grams) uncooked pasta (such as penne, rotini, or rigatoni)
4 cups (950 milliliters) marinara sauce (homemade or purchased)
½ cup (50 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated
15 ounces (450 grams) ricotta cheese
2 cups (200 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded

Makes 10 servings

Ground Beef Pasta Bake^{[2]
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16 ounces (450 grams) uncooked pasta (such as penne, rotini, or rigatoni)
1 onion, chopped
1 pound (450 grams) lean ground beef
26 ounces (770 milliliters) spaghetti sauce
6 ounces (180 grams) provolone cheese, sliced
1½ cups (375 grams) sour cream
6 ounces (180 grams) mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons (30 grams) Parmesan cheese, grated

Makes 10 servings

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making a Vegetarian Pasta Bake

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You are under-cooking the pasta because it will finish cooking in the oven.^{[3]
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3
Pour half of the marinara sauce and half of the pasta into a lightly-greased casserole dish. Gently toss the two together until the pasta is evenly coated. Set the rest of the pasta and sauce aside; you will be using them in another layer.
- Use a 3-quart (2.8 liters) casserole dish.
Start with ¼ cup (25 grams) of Parmesan cheese, then half of the ricotta cheese. Add 1 cup (100 grams) of the mozzarella cheese.
Mix the rest of the pasta and marinara sauce, and add it to the casserole dish. Sprinkle rest of the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese on top.
Make sure that the foil is not touching the cheese.
The center should be bubbly and heated through. If you want to get a nice, crispy layer on top, place your dish under the broiler (uncovered) until the top turns golden brown, about 4 minutes.^{[4]
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^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making a Ground Beef Pasta Bake

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You are under-cooking the pasta because it will finish cooking in the oven.
Make sure that the skillet is large enough to hold the spaghetti sauce , which you will be adding later. Stir the onion and ground beef occasionally with a spatula so that they cook evenly.
This will help the flavors mix and blend together. Stir occasionally so that everything cooks evenly.
5
Add half of the pasta, Provolone cheese, and sour cream into a greased baking dish. Use a spatula to spread the pasta across the bottom of the dish in a even layer, then lay all of the Provolone slices on top. Spread the sour cream on top of the Provolone cheese. You will add the rest of the pasta in another layer.
- Use a 9 by 13 inch (22.86 by 33.02 centimeters) baking dish.
Try to spread it as evenly as possible. You are only using half now, because you will be adding the rest of it in another layer.
Spread the pasta across the sauce mixture first, then add the mozzarella cheese. Try to spread everything as evenly as possible. Finish off with the rest of the sauce mixture.
This will be your finishing touch, and help create that final, crispy layer.
If you want to get that nice, crispy layer on top, place your dish under the broiler until the cheese turns golden. This will take about 4 minutes.^{[7]
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This also allows the sauce to settle into all of the nooks and crannies of the pasta.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use pasta sauce for the ground beef pasta bake instead of spaghetti sauce?

Joanne pettis

Community Answer

Yes, it's basically the same thing. Pasta sauces are usually a tomato base with Italian spices.

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Tips

Avoid smooth pastas, such as ziti—it won't hold all of the goodies. Instead, try pasta with lots of grooves, nooks, and crannies, such as: rigatoni, riccioli, or rocchetti.^{[8]
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Use olive oil while boiling the pasta if you think the water might boil over. This does not change the taste and it will reduce the risk of your water boiling over.

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Undercook the pasta. The hot sauce and heat of the oven will cook it the rest of the way.

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