Are you ready for some cozy delicious comfort food? This Three-Cheese Italian Pasta Bake is a family 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?
AKA Pasta al Forno in Italian which is used to refer to any simple pasta dish baked in the oven!
This easy, baked pasta recipe is a simple crowd-pleaser made with penne pasta, a creamy cheese sauce, and diced tomatoes. The ingredients bake up together in the oven transforming into a warm, cheesy dish. It's a little like lasagna but easier to assemble
If you enjoy pasta and a creamy cheese sauce, then you've got to try our Penne Rosa and Fettucini Alfredo.
Why You Will Love This Italian Pasta Bake Recipe
- Creamy, cheesy baked pasta recipe! What's not to love?
- Kid-friendly recipe. This dish is a hit with kids and adults!
- Easy to make for groups or potlucks. It's one of those dishes that doesn't require much additional work to make for a large group.
- Great option for weeknight dinners. It doesn't take tons of hands-on time to prepare.
Ingredients
For this easy baked pasta with cheese you'll need to add the following to your grocery list:
- Pasta: I use penne pasta but this recipe works great with any shaped short pasta of a similar size.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor but also serves as the fat to make the roux for the pasta bake sauce.
- Garlic: Infuses the creamy sauce with its aromatic flavors.
- Flour: Thickens the creamy sauce for the baked pasta dish.
- Milk: Use whole milk for the creamiest texture and best flavor in your cheese baked pasta.
- Seasonings: This recipe relies on dried spices you likely already have in your spice cabinet. Oregano, basil, parsley, salt, and black pepper.
- Cheese: Use a blend of cheeses for a richer, more interesting flavor. I use sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan.
- Diced tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes to make baked cheese pasta and garnish the top with halved cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Breadcrumbs: Use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs for more flavor.
How to Make Three-Cheese Pasta Bake
Begin by cooking your pasta according to the 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 three tablespoons of butter.
- Add in the minced garlic and whisk for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and whisk for 1-2 minutes until the flour mixture has a nutty aroma.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and bring it to a boil, while constantly whisking. Continue until the sauce is thickened.
- Stir in the seasonings and remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the grated cheeses and stir until all the cheese is melted. Set the pan aside.
- Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by spraying with non-stick spray. Add drained pasta to the bottom of a baking pan.
- Top pasta with canned diced tomatoes including the liquid.
- Pour the creamy cheese sauce over the top.
- Use a spatula to gently fold the ingredients together until fully combined.
- Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and small slices of the remaining butter.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil, and remove the 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 three-cheese recipe as the base.
- Swap the mozzarella for pepper jack cheese. I love a good pepper jack anyways so mixing it in adds a nice spice.
- Add some Italian sausage. This is my family's favorite variation and we indulge in it frequently!! It's soo so good with sausage. Mix in fully cooked and drained ground Italian sausage. To add, toss the cooked meat with the pasta when you add in the tomatoes and cheese.
- Adding pre-cooked sausage links. 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!
How to Serve
This recipe is definitely an easy one-pan meal! So you don't need much to along with it!
- Add a loaf of crusty bread, homemade bread sticks, or Crispy Cheese Toast.
- Serve it up as a side dish for Chicken Parmesan, Parmesan Crusted Zucchini, or any other Italian favorites.
- It goes great with a simple salad such as this Arugula Salad or Blueberry Salad.
- Add a simple vegetable like these Parmesan Grilled Vegetable Skewers and Honey Glazed Carrots.
Use it as a "service meal". Three cheese penne works great as a meal you take to a sick friend or family with a new baby on board.
- 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).
- Assemble the dish 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.
Expert Tips
- Don't skimp on the cheese. Using a blend of three cheeses adds flavor and lots of creaminess to this Italian-baked pasta.
- Cook the pasta to al dente or undercook it. Leave it with a little bite so that it doesn't overcook in the oven and turn into mush.
- Top with fresh tomatoes and basil for added color and flavor on this three cheese pasta.
- Stir the cheese in after removing the skillet from the heat. It will melt better and produce a creamier sauce.
Uncover and broil the top before serving to add some color to the top.
FAQs
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.
I always recommend undercooking 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.
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.
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.
More Pasta Recipes
I love pasta dishes! Do You Have Other Recipes? We do! Be sure to check out our:
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Three-Cheese Italian Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 4 tablespoon butter divided
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 2 Cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
- ⅓ cup mozzarella cheese grated
- ¼ cup fresh parmesan grated
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes canned
- ¼ cup Italian bread crumbs
- cherry tomatoes and 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 tablespoon 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
- Don't skimp on the cheese. Using a blend of three cheeses adds flavor and lots of creaminess to this Italian-baked pasta.
- Cook the pasta to al dente or undercook it. Leave it with a little bite so that it doesn't overcook in the oven and turn into mush.
- Top with fresh tomatoes and basil for color and flavor.
- Stir the cheese in after removing the skillet from the heat. It will melt better and produce a creamier sauce.
Reagan says
Looks way more flavorful than it is. Tastes like a mid Mac and cheese. Disappointed af
Mar says
Very good pasta recipe. I would recommend adding some manchego cheese, it is to die for! Congrats for the recipe!
Emily Kemp says
This looks like the ultimate comforting pasta dish, can't wait to try it!
Mark says
Love this recipe. Great tasting pasta.
I will say that I cut the oregano by 2/3. Three tspn seemed like a lot for such a strong herb. it also turned my sauce a little green with just the one tspn. I can't imagine 3 TSPns. so i don't know how you get such a white sauce given those realities.
PS. Caps unintended. For some reason browser insists on caps.
thanks
Joann says
Hi Aubrey, This looks delicious and I know my son and his girlfriend would love this. I do have a question, someone asked but it never got answered. Are the seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, etc...) dried or fresh? Thanks so much and keep the recipes coming they all look good. :)
google down says
Oh how fun! So I did dried! I have done fresh but usually if I do any kind of fresh, I'll just sprinkle them on top at the end- not bake them. Good Luck with your dinner!
Sally Foster says
What does C and T stand for in the ingredients
Aubrey says
Hi Sally! C is for Cups and T is for Tablespoons.
Reese says
Are the seasonings dried or fresh?
Reese says
Are the seasonings dried or fresh?
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
This pasta looks so delicious!!
Aubrey says
Thanks Ami! It really is so delicious :)
Anel says
This looks so good! I think I have all the ingredients ; I'm going to make it tonight! Love thats it's so simple!
Alexandra (Figs & Feta) says
This looks delicious and simple to prepare! My kind of dinner! :)
Aubrey says
Thanks so much Alexandra! Me and you are on the same page for dinners :)
Keri says
Yum! This looks scrumptious - perfect comfort food!
Aubrey says
Thanks Keri!!
sara says
This looks absolutely amazing! YUM. So creamy and delicious. :)
Aubrey says
Hi Sara, Thanks so much! You need to try it! It is delicious
Amy says
I have a really big family of 8, most of them teenage boys, so I have to cook with pasta a couple of times a week to keep within my food budget. I'm always looking for a new pasta recipe. I love this one because it looks easy to put together and even though it's really cheesy, it still looks fresh and light with all the herbs and tomatoes. Thanks for the recipe, I can't wait to try it out.
Aubrey says
Hi Amy, Oh my goodness.. I had 3 younger brothers and yes.. teenage boys can eat a lot!! Hope you (and the boys) love it!
Carolyn Labossiere says
My daughter will not eat pork or any red meat. Do you think chicken could be used in this. It sound wonderful but I do like a little meat.
Aubrey says
Chicken is a great idea! Roasted or grilled chicken cubed and mixed in would be a delicous alternative to sausage! Let me know how it turns out!
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries says
This post is making me so hungry. I love baked pasta. This is definitely a "must make!"
Aubrey says
Thanks Annie! Baked pasta is so delicious!