Simple Cheesy Baked Pasta

5 from 6 votes

Bake up a pan of this cheesy, layered pasta using your own or store bought pasta sauce and your people will be very happy and comforted.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Jami Boys

Ingredients

1 pound pasta Penne, Rotini, Ziti, etc.
4 cups tomato pasta sauce, 32 ounces
4 ounces cream cheese*
3 to 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound ground meat (beef, turkey, sausage)** optional- leave out for meatless

Instructions

In a large sauce pot, cook pasta about 2 minutes LESS than according to directions.
While pasta is cooking, brown the meat, if needed, and make/heat the pasta sauce in a pot big enough to mix with the pasta. Once the sauce is boiling (and meat cooked) add the cream cheese and stir until mixed in. Turn the heat down and let the sauce simmer.
Grate any of the cheeses, if needed.
Drain the pasta and return it to the cooking pot. Add the sauce mixture and stir until evenly coated. Or visa versa - add the pasta to the sauce if it's in the larger pot. Your choice.
Grease a 3-quart baking dish (13x9-inch) and spoon half of the pasta mixture onto the bottom. Sprinkle half of the grated mozzarella cheese and then top with remaining pasta. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on the top, as well as the Parmesan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Notes

*The cream cheese is optional, though it's what gives this dish that extra creaminess.

**If you'd like to add meat, you can use all kinds here, too - think sliced smoked sausage, cooked leftover pork, chicken, or steak. It's a nice way to use up if you need to.

VARIATION: If you'd like to add spinach, you can use frozen (thawed and drained), or fresh - if using fresh, though, saute it first in a bit of olive oil (or along with the meat if you're using) to cook off the moisture so it doesn't water down your sauce.

Can this recipe be cut in half? Yes, it's easy to cut all the ingredients in half (though I usually do more sauce as we like it saucy) and bake in an 11x9 or 9x9 inch pan. Cooking time remains the same.

Nutrition