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Baked Penne Pasta requires only one dish, no boiling your pasta. Everything is baked together for the most divine, flavorful pasta casserole you’ve ever had. The bubbly cheese makes it creamy and perfectly cheesy. Pair with garlic bread and enjoy.
Table of Contents
Why Make This Recipe
For starters, this Baked Penne Pasta With Mozzarella is so easy to make. You basically dump everything in a baking dish, set it and forget it for 45 minutes to an hour. This is a great dish for the family or for entertaining. If you are looking for something a little quicker try my Veggie Ragu next!
It’s so savory and perfectly cheesy it will be your new favorite weeknight dish. No boiling water for pasta and you can use any noodle and veggie of choice to bake into this casserole. Pair it with my Garlic Rolls for the ultimate dinner. Looking for something with more spice? My Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta will cure all the spicy cravings.
Ingredients Needed
Pasta. Any noodle of choice will work, but this is called Penne Baked Pasta so I use Penne.
Pasta Sauce. Any red sauce of choice will work great. 1 jar (24 oz)
Mozzarella. High quality fresh mozzarella works best and melts great.
Seasoning. Garlic powder, oregano, onion powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes.
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Steps To Make Baked Penne Pasta
Step One. Preheat oven to 375º. In an 8 x 11 or 9×9 baking dish, add dry pasta, red sauce, water (I fill the empty sauce jar with the water and shake it to get more sauce out). Add in seasoning, mushrooms, spinach. Carefully, gently mix together in the dish. Cover the dish tightly with tin foil.
Step Two. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Pull it out after baking for 30 minutes, add the fresh mozzarella over the top of the pasta casserole and bake for another 30 minutes, then take tin foil off and cook for another 10 minutes or until cheese is browned, bubbling and the pasta is al dente.
Step Three. Let the pasta sit for about 5 minutes before serving. I like to enjoy mine with garlic bread.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can use a different pasta shape if you’d like.
Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Yes, use any cheese you prefer, but I enjoy the fresh mozzarella best as it melts into the noodles throughout the dish giving it a cheesy texture.
Other Pasta Recipes To Make
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Baked Penne Pasta With Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 1 24 oz jar of pasta sauce, any kind will work.
- 1 lb dry penne pasta, *see notes
- 2 cups water
- ½ tbsp dried, crushed, oregano
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms, optional
- 2 cups spinach, *see notes
- 1½ cup fresh mozzarella , *see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º. In an 8 x 11 or 9×9 baking dish, add dry pasta, red sauce, water (I fill the empty sauce jar with the water and shake it to get more sauce out). Add in seasoning, mushrooms, spinach. Carefully, gently mix together in the dish. Cover the dish tightly with tin foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes. After baking for 30 minutes, pull it out, add the fresh mozzarella over the top of the pasta casserole, cover again and bake for another 30 minutes. Take tin foil off and cook for another 10 minutes or until cheese is browned, bubbling and the pasta is al dente. Total time baking is about an hour and ten minutes (give or take some time depending on oven temps and pasta size).
- Let the pasta sit for about 5 minutes before serving. I like to enjoy mine with garlic bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I think you need a deep baking vessel as you have a lb of pasta. 24. Oz sauce, 2 cups water and 2 cups of spinach and mushrooms. My 9×11 dish could not hold it all. Needed to switch to Dutch oven after initial 30 minutes as cheese did not fit. Otherwise great taste
Fabulous recipe. Not much in the fridge. So this helps..
If I wanted to add meat, what would you recommend?