Three-Cheese Italian Pasta Bake

Are you ready for some cozy delicious comfort food? This Three-Cheese Italian Pasta Bake is a favorite, with a creamy cheese sauce and tangy tomatoes mixed with soft noodles- it is the ultimate crowd pleaser. Easily doubled, this dish is perfect for a crowd!

What Is Three-Cheese Italian Pasta Bake?

This dish is a simple crowd-pleaser consisting of penne pasta, a creamy cheese sauce, and diced tomatoes.  It is all baked together in the oven for a warm, cheesy dish.

What Do I Need To Make This Italian Pasta Bake?

For this recipe you’ll need to add the following to your grocery list:

• 16oz penne pasta
• 4 tbsp salted butter (divided)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• cherry tomatoes and fresh basil as garnish (optional)

How Do You Make Three-Cheese Italian Penne?

Begin by cooking your pasta according to package directions.  You want to cook the penne to al-dente, leaving a bit of bite to your pasta. Because we are baking this dish, you don’t want it to get mushy in the oven.

1. In a saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter.

2. Add in minced garlic and whisk for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.

3. Sprinkle in flour and whisk 1-2 minutes until flour mixture has a nutty aroma.

4. Slowly whisk in 3 cups of milk.  Bring to a boil, while constantly whisking, and whisk until thickened.

5. Stir in seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper). Remove from heat.

6. Stir in grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, and grated parmesan.  Stir until cheeses are melted, set aside.

7. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spraying with non-stick spray.  Add drained pasta to the baking pan.

8. Top pasta with canned diced tomatoes (liquid included).

9. Pour cream cheese sauce on top.

10. Gently toss to combine.

11. Top with bread crumbs and small tabs of remaining butter.  If you have leftover shredded cheese, you can add this below the breadcrumb layer.

12. Cover dish with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Turn over to broil, and remove foil. Cook for an additional 1-3 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.

Variations

I’ve made this cheesy penne pasta so many times over the years and with so many variations I’ve learned it is hard to go wrong! I always come back to this as basic recipe as my favorite. One thing I’ve tried and loved is substituting the mozzarella for pepper jack cheese. I love a good pepper jack anyways so mixing it in adds a nice spice.

The most common variation we indulge in is adding sausage!! It’s soo so good with sausage. I put a few notes in the recipe card on adding sausage, but basically if your using ground Italian Sausage you want it fully cooked and drained. Just toss the cooked meat in with the pasta when you add in the tomatoes and cheese. Many times I buy a pre-cooked sausage link- Hillshire Farms makes some yummy ones. I chop it up into bite-sized pieces and just toss it with all the pasta! So easy and I don’t have to get another pan dirty!

Italian Pasta Bake Q&A

Do you cook pasta before baking it?

For this dish, yes.  There are no-boil lasagna varieties, but for most baked pasta recipes – you are required to boil the pasta prior to baking.

How long do you boil pasta before baking?

I always recommend under cooking your pasta, or cooking it to “Al-dente” or leaving a bit of bite to your pasta.  If you cook it fully, it may become soggy while baking.

Should I cook this covered of uncovered?

Baked pasta is cooked covered.  This prevents it from drying out in the oven.  Some recipes, like this one, call for the cover to be removed at the end to brown the top.

Should I rinse pasta?

Do Not Rinse.

Pasta should never, ever be rinsed for a warm dish. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately.

A Great Service Meal

This is a great “service meal”…. a meal you take to a sick friend or family with a new baby on board. Just double the recipe and put half in your own pan (for your dinner) and the other half in a tin 9 x 13 (the cheap ones disposable ones you buy at the grocery store). I make the service dinner so far as topping it with the bread crumbs and butter but I don’t bake it. Take it to your lucky recipient and with the instructions to bake written on the lid or foil. They can bake right away for dinner that night, or store in the fridge or freezer for another night.

I love pasta dishes! Do You Have Other Recipes?

We do!  Be sure to check out our:

• Penne Rosa
• Lamb Cacciatore
• Fettucini Alfredo

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? HAVE QUESTIONS?

Tell us if you make this Italian Pasta Bake? We love to hear from those who make my recipes.  If you want to keep up with our newest recipes, make sure you follow is on Facebook and Instagram, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

Three-Cheese Italian Pasta Bake

This three-cheese Italian pasta bake is so easy to throw together, made with a creamy cheese sauce and tangy tomatoes it's a sure crowd pleaser!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 407kcal

Author: Kadee & Desarae

Ingredients

• ▢ 16 oz Penne Pasta
• ▢ 4 tbsp butter (divided)
• ▢ 3 tbsp flour
• ▢ 2 Cloves Garlic minced
• ▢ 3 cups Milk
• ▢ 1 tsp oregano
• ▢ 1 tsp basil
• ▢ 1/2 tsp parsley
• ▢ 1 tsp Salt
• ▢ 1/2 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated
• ▢ 1/3 cup Mozzarella Cheese grated
• ▢ 1/4 cup Fresh Parmesan grated
• ▢ 14.5 oz diced tomatoes canned
• ▢ 1/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• ▢ cherry tomatoes & fresh basil optional as garnish

Instructions

• Begin by cooking your pasta according to package directions.  You want to cook the penne to al-dente, leaving a bit of bite to your pasta. Because we are baking this dish, you don't want it to get mushy in the oven.
• In a saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter.
• Add in minced garlic and whisk for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant.
• Sprinkle in flour and whisk 1-2 minutes until flour mixture has a nutty aroma.
• Slowly whisk in 3 cups of milk.  Bring to a boil, while constantly whisking, and whisk until thickened.
• Stir in seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, salt and pepper). Remove from heat.
• Stir in grated cheddar, grated mozzarella, and grated parmesan.  Stir until cheeses are melted, set aside.
• Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by spraying with non-stick spray.  Add drained pasta to the baking pan.
• Top pasta with canned diced tomatoes (liquid included).
• Pour cream cheese sauce on top.
• Gently toss to combine.
• Top with bread crumbs and small tabs of remaining butter.  If you have leftover shredded cheese, you can add this below the breadcrumb layer.
• Cover dish with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Turn over to broil, and remove foil. Cook for an additional 1-3 minutes to brown the top. Serve immediately.

Notes

Variations

I've made this cheesy penne pasta so many times over the years and with so many variations I've learned it is hard to go wrong! I always come back to this as basic recipe as my favorite. One thing I've tried and loved is substituting the mozzarella for pepper jack cheese. I love a good pepper jack anyways so mixing it in adds a nice spice.

The most common variation we indulge in is adding sausage!! It's soo so good with sausage. I put a few notes in the recipe card on adding sausage, but basically if your using ground Italian Sausage you want it fully cooked and drained. Just toss the cooked meat in with the pasta when you add in the tomatoes and cheese. Many times I buy a pre-cooked sausage link- Hillshire Farms makes some yummy ones. I chop it up into bite-sized pieces and just toss it with all the pasta! So easy and I don't have to get another pan dirty!

Italian Pasta Bake Q&A

Do you cook pasta before baking it?

For this dish, yes.  There are no-boil lasagna varieties, but for most baked pasta recipes - you are required to boil the pasta prior to baking.

How long do you boil pasta before baking?

I always recommend under cooking your pasta, or cooking it to "Al-dente" or leaving a bit of bite to your pasta.  If you cook it fully, it may become soggy while baking.

Should I cook this covered of uncovered?

Baked pasta is cooked covered.  This prevents it from drying out in the oven.  Some recipes, like this one, call for the cover to be removed at the end to brown the top.

Should I rinse pasta?

Do Not Rinse.

Pasta should never, ever be rinsed for a warm dish. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce adhere to your pasta. The only time you should ever rinse your pasta is when you are going to use it in a cold dish like a pasta salad or when you are not going to use it immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 2oz | Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 523IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 2mg

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