This Creamy Pasta Bake is a cinch to throw together on a busy weeknight. With two different kinds of sauce and plenty of cheese, your family will be begging for seconds and thirds.
I first had this pasta bake when we lived with my parents while our current home was being built.
My mom had never made the recipe before and I was blown away by how tasty it was.
Come to find out, it’s about the easiest recipe in the world because it only has 6 ingredients and uses bottled pasta sauce.
The secret behind the amazing taste comes from using both marinara and alfredo sauce.
Who knew we should have been mixing those together all along?!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook 16 ounces of pasta (penne or rigatoni) according to package directions and drain.
Pour a little sauce from 15 ounces of bottled alfredo sauce and 24 ounces of bottled marinara sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish and then pour half of the noodles on top.
Sprinkle the noodles with some 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese.
Add another layer of sauce, noodles, and seasoning. Finish with both sauces on top, the remaining mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasoning.
Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and Italian seasoning and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, until bubbly.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
If you don’t have penne pasta on hand, or would prefer another shape, just choose your favorite! I always tell my husband that pasta tastes the same no matter the shape 😉
When you add the sauce to the bottom of the pan, do so sparingly. The bottled sauce goes quickly, so make sure you save enough to cover the noodles.
This recipe is completely customizable. You can choose whatever sauce you prefer, or make your own!
You can also change which cheese you use. Try shredded or grated Parmesan.
Here are several substitutes for marinara sauce if you’re in a pinch.
More Like This
Want more pasta dishes? You’ll love these!
- Cheesy Chicken Macaroni Casserole
- Easy Spaghetti with Chili Sauce
- Cheesy Chicken and Linguine Recipe
- The Perfect Lemon Basil Pasta
- Lasagna made with Cottage Cheese
FAQ’s
Yes!
Most pasta bakes and casserole dishes call for pre-cooked pasta. Pre-cooking the noodles cuts down on the cook time and ensures your dish bakes evenly.
That depends.
This dish doesn’t need to be covered. There is a short cooking time and few ingredients.
If you find that your dish turns out dry, you can cover with foil for the first 15 minutes of cooking.
If your pasta bake turns out dry, just add more sauce or a little bit of water, stir, cover tightly with foil and return to the oven for a few minutes. This should steam the dry pasta and make it tender.
If you notice that your pasta bake comes out dry every time, try lowering your oven rack or covering the dish before putting it in the oven.
I like to serve this pasta bake with fruit, veggies or salad, and bread.
Try some of these options for salad:
–Chicken Caesar Salad with Pasta
–BLT Salad With Avocado
–Persimmon Salad with Goat Cheese and Oranges
-Ultimate Winter Green Salad
–Spinach Strawberry Salad with Almonds
And these options for bread:
–Rhodes Rolls Breadsticks
–Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
–Cheesy French Bread
–Refrigerator Mashed Potato Rolls
–No-Knead Crescent Rolls
I hope your family loves this creamy pasta bake as much as mine! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
And if you’d like to get a 4-week meal plan featuring my recipes, just enter your email in the form above and you’ll get it straight to your inbox!
Creamy Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta, penne or rigatoni
- 15 ounces alfredo sauce
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.
- Pour a little of each of the sauces into the bottom of a casserole dish and put half of the noodles on top.
- Sprinkle the noodles with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Add another layer of sauce, noodles, and seasoning. Finish with both sauces on top, the remaining mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasoning.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes until bubbly.