Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Recipes
  3. 25 Comforting Baked Pasta Recipes

25 Comforting Baked Pasta Recipes

By Cooking Light February 05, 2019
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: VeselovaElena
These cheesy, cozy, and crowd-pleasing baked pasta recipes are sure to satisfy even the pickiest eater in your family. From crave-worthy lasagna to manicotti to stuffed shells, this mouthwatering recipe collection is jam-packed with healthier ways to enjoy your favorite baked pasta dishes. 
Start Slideshow

1 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

The best part of this vegetable lasagna—aside from the flavor—is the low-cleanup: Vegetables take turns cooking in a single cast iron skillet, not several. A stovetop simmer quickly cooks the noodles through, so there's no need for a separate pot to boil them. Then the pan shifts easily to the oven for a last-minute broil to melt and meld the cheeses. Perfection!

1 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Shrimp-Stuffed Shells

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Shrimp-Stuffed Shells

The shrimp goes into the pasta shells raw to prevent it from overcooking while the pasta bakes. Look for potato starch near the cornstarch in your supermarket.

2 of 25

3 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chicken Tetrazzini

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Tetrazzini

If you’d like to make this comforting classic baked pasta dish ahead of time, you can freeze the unbaked casserole up to three months. Let it thaw completely; top with Parmesan and panko, then bake at 350°F until browned and bubbly, about 45 minutes.

3 of 25

Advertisement

4 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna With Spinach

Credit: Photo: Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine
View Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Lasagna With Spinach

This reader favorite has half the carbs of classic lasagna. If you bake the squash ahead, store the squeeze-dried strands in a zip-top bag, and stack the empty squash “boats” between damp paper towels before refrigerating.

4 of 25

5 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baked Pasta with Spinach, Lemon, and Cheese

Credit: Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Baked Pasta with Spinach, Lemon, and Cheese

The casserole idea is this: Disparate elements are combined, sauced, topped, and baked until yummy. In the noodle casserole, pasta and sauce canoodle in the oven so that the former absorbs the flavor of the latter and softens deliciously, while the cheese topping merrily bubbles and browns. In this collection, we apply these principles to lighter expressions of casserole perfection. Let's get gooey.

First up, Baked Pasta with Spinach, Lemon, and Cheese makes use of casarecce pasta—a short noodle with a curled edge that provides a large groove to hold the creamy sauce. If you can't find it, use fusilli, campanelle, or radiatore. Use a large, deep pot for the pasta so the spinach will fit inside, as well.

5 of 25

6 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Bacon and Butternut Pasta

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Bacon and Butternut Pasta

Broth, thickened with flour and enriched with crème fraîche, forms the savory sauce in this dish. We like the addition of earthy, hearty kale which helps balance the sweetness from the squash.

6 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Credit: Caitlin Bensel
View Recipe: Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Silky roasted butternut squash stands in for noodles in this more nutritious take on the starchy pasta casserole.

7 of 25

8 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Mushroom Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Mushroom Lasagna

Rich porcini broth and nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano add deep umami taste to this vegetarian lasagna. Plain white button mushrooms will work in place of cremini. Serve with a simple green salad for a satisfying meal.

8 of 25

9 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Quick Pastitsio

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Quick Pastitisio

This creamy baked pasta comes together quickly. Melted, gooey part-skim mozzarella cheese makes it even more decadent—without leaving you feeling guilty. Use any short pasta—ziti or rotini also work.

9 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Gluten-Free Vegan Lasagna

Credit: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Gluten-Free Vegan Lasagna

For this gluten-free vegan lasagna, thinly-sliced zucchini is a great stand in for noodles. When salted, the excess moisture is drawn out, leaving you with a lasagna just as firm as the noodle version. Mashed tofu, when seasoned correctly, tastes eerily similar to ricotta, but with significantly fewer calories and fat. It holds its own against traditional recipes and will wow dinner guests all the same.

10 of 25

11 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Full of warm flavors—butternut squash, sweet caramelized onion, fresh sage, and even a hint of nutmeg—this is the perfect company-worthy dish if you want to impress. Serve with a fresh salad of grapefruit and fennel, and sip our Pomegranate Fizz.

11 of 25

12 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana

Legendary Italian cook Lidia Bastianich shared her grandmother's surprisingly easy recipes for from-scratch homemade pasta, including this Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana, whose tomato-and-bacon sauce packs a red-pepper punch, balanced by creamy melted mozzarella.

12 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

Weight loss starts in the kitchen. Try the Cooking Light Diet

Fresh spinach, chicken, and a combination of cheeses make this dish comforting enough for the last days of winter yet fresh enough for the first days of spring.

You can also cook the pasta mixture in individual 8-ounce ramekins, and bake for 15 minutes.

13 of 25

14 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese Recipe

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

This easy, cheesy pasta recipe features ziti, turkey sausage, canned tomatoes, and fresh basil. It's a perfect pasta dish for busy weeknights.

14 of 25

15 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Two-Pepper Rigatoni and Cheese

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Two-Pepper Rigatoni and Cheese

Red bell pepper and pickled jalapeño pepper get added to the mix in this grown-up baked mac and cheese. "This is a great basic recipe because there are many possibilities for variations with different pastas and cheeses," says reader and recipe creater, Jeff Towle. "You can also use individual gratin dishes if you want a special presentation."

15 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baked Vegetable Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Baked Vegetable Lasagna

To help ensure that the cheesy layer remains moist and creamy, don’t press out the extra water from the tofu. Serve the lasagna with breadsticks and a green salad.

16 of 25

17 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Truffled Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Credit: Photo: José Picayo
View Recipe: Truffled Wild Mushroom Lasagna

Hearty and rich, this vegetarian lasagna will satisfy the most die-hard of meat eaters. You don't have to spend a lot on truffle oil to make this luxurious meatless lasagna; look for small 2- or 3-ounce bottles, which are less likely to go bad before you use up the oil.

17 of 25

18 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Wild Mushroom Pastitsio

Credit: Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Wild Mushroom Pastitsio

This meatless version of pastitsio swaps ground beef for wild mushrooms but keeps the creamy, cheesy goodness of the classic dish. Entertaining? Serve alongside Swiss Chard with Crème Fraîche and an earthy pinot noir.

18 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Italian Sausage Puttanesca

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Italian Sausage Puttanesca

If you're in the mood for something spicy rather than creamy, this is it. For a little less heat, use mild turkey Italian sausage instead of hot.

19 of 25

20 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Garden-Style Lasagna

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Garden-Style Lasagna

Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation. If you make it ahead, let it cool completely, then cover and chill. The next day, heat single servings in the microwave. Freeze leftovers for dinner.

20 of 25

21 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells

To fill the shells, simply spoon the cheese mixture into a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; squeeze out the air. Snip a one-inch hole in one corner of the bag, and pipe the filling into the shells.

21 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

22 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies

Credit: Photo: John Autry and Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr
View Recipe: Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies

Add pops of color to baked ziti with fresh summer veggies like squash, zucchini, and tomato. This quick and versatile recipe can be easily adjusted based on your favorite veggies or what you have on hand.

22 of 25

23 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta

This is mac and cheese for adults. It's got all the creamy comfort of the original, with the sophisticated flavors of Italian cheeses standing in for the traditional cheddar. The garlicky breadcrumb topping adds crunch and visual interest. If you want an even more elegant presentation, bake individual servings in ramekins or gratin dishes for each guest.

23 of 25

24 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Easy Meatless Manicotti

Credit: Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Easy Meatless Manicotti

Filled with a satisfying blend of spinach and three cheeses, the stuffed shells simmer in tomato-basil pasta sauce as the dish bakes in the oven.

24 of 25

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

25 of 25

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Zucchini and Basil Lasagna

Credit: VeselovaElena
View Recipe: Zucchini and Basil Lasagna

The oven-ready noodles and bottled sauce make this a quick recipe to put together.

Tip: Summer squash's mild taste and cool flavor make it a perfect for blending with other ingredients. Look for firm squash with little blemishing; refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to three days.

25 of 25

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Cooking Light

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 25 Skillet Vegetable Lasagna
    2 of 25 Shrimp-Stuffed Shells
    3 of 25 Chicken Tetrazzini
    4 of 25 Spaghetti Squash Lasagna With Spinach
    5 of 25 Baked Pasta with Spinach, Lemon, and Cheese
    6 of 25 Bacon and Butternut Pasta
    7 of 25 Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
    8 of 25 Mushroom Lasagna
    9 of 25 Quick Pastitsio
    10 of 25 Gluten-Free Vegan Lasagna
    11 of 25 Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna
    12 of 25 Semolina Lasagna with Spicy Amatriciana
    13 of 25 Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine
    14 of 25 Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese Recipe
    15 of 25 Two-Pepper Rigatoni and Cheese
    16 of 25 Baked Vegetable Lasagna
    17 of 25 Truffled Wild Mushroom Lasagna
    18 of 25 Wild Mushroom Pastitsio
    19 of 25 Italian Sausage Puttanesca
    20 of 25 Garden-Style Lasagna
    21 of 25 Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells
    22 of 25 Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies
    23 of 25 Fontina and Mascarpone Baked Pasta
    24 of 25 Easy Meatless Manicotti
    25 of 25 Zucchini and Basil Lasagna

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    25 Comforting Baked Pasta Recipes
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.