Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta

Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta, the perfect anytime pasta dish.  This Italian Baked Pasta Recipe will become one of your family favourites.

Pick your favourite pasta, toss with an easy homemade meat sauce, add some fresh mozzarella cheese, grated parmesan and a little white sauce, then bake this easy baked pasta dish!

Baked Pasta, this creamy and cheesy dish is a fast and delicious way to fancy up a box of pasta, so good.

I often wonder how many ingredients can we mix with pasta?  Almost anything and everything I imagine.

But I also think that sometimes it is the classics that work the best and when I am craving an amazing, fast and scrumptious pasta dish this is it, Baked Pasta.

You basically need one pan, an easy meat sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmesan cheese, add a little white sauce and it becomes so creamy and delicious you will be making it more than once.

The strange thing is  I never ate this dish at anyone’s house but people would often talk about “pasta al forno”, (baked pasta).

More Delicious Easy Baked Pasta Dishes to Try.

Baked Gnocchi Double Cheese Tomato Sauce

Homemade Baked Macaroni and Double Cheese

Easy Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Homemade Creamy White Sauce Lasagna

In Italy it can be a little confusing, because Pasta al Forno, also refers to Lasagna, Cannelloni virtually any pasta baked in the oven.

So talking to my sister- in- law (many years ago) she set me straight on  all the different types of baked pasta.

I also find the best pasta for this dish is short pasta, such as rigatoni, penne or even shells.  You want that delicious sauce and creamy cheese to stick to the pasta so long pasta isn’t the best idea.

Over the years I have made this type of simple baked pasta in many different ways, but I have to admit this is the winner, I think adding  just that bit of white sauce brings it all together.

Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta

A great idea is to use a oven safe skillet and make your sauce right in the skillet, add the cooked al dent pasta and cheese and white sauce and in the oven it goes.  Buon Appetito!

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Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta

Creamy Cheesy Baked Pasta, an easy creamy cheesy one pan oven baked pasta recipe, a delicious sauce made with ground beef, a family favourite.

Course Main Course, Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 413kcal

Author Rosemary Molloy / An Italian in my Kitchen

Ingredients

• 5 cups cooked short pasta dried pasta

TOMATO SAUCE

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 pound lean ground beef
• 2 1/2 cups tomato puree
• 1 clove of garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 3 leaves fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups water

TOPPING

• 1/2 cup white sauce
• 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pre heat oven to 350° (180°). 
• In a large oven proof pan or 10 inch skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and ground beef, brown, then add tomato puree, salt, basil, oregano, garlic and water stir to combine, add basil leaves and cook on medium heat, half covered until thickened (approximately 20-25 minutes).
• While sauce is cooking. In a large pot of boiling salted water cook pasta al dente, drain.
• When sauce has thickened, add drained pasta and mix well to combine. Drizzle 1/2 cup of white sauce** and top first with diced mozzarella and then parmesan cheese. Bake for approximately 20 -25 minutes in a preheated 350° (180°) oven. Top with extra Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
• Either homemade White Sauce or a good store bought if you prefer.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 642mg | Potassium: 665mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 770IU | Vitamin C: 11.7mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 4mg

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Republished from May 26, 2014.