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Easy Baked Penne – this easy pasta casserole is FULL of cheese! It’s accidentally vegetarian and no one will know it’s semi-homemade! This is one of the best easy baked pasta recipe I’ve ever made.
Easy Baked Penne Recipe
Years ago I had a friend who introduced me to this easy baked pasta recipe. She made it for a 4th of July barbecue one time and we sat eating it for hours. I’ve been making it for potlucks and family dinners ever since.
When I researched baked penne pasta recipes online before making it, I found that so many of them have meat in them. I thought that was strange, because I’ve only ever had THIS Baked Penne, which is vegetarian. My friend didn’t eat meat, so neither did her pasta recipe. As a result, I’ve always made this without meat. And you know what? I don’t miss the meat at all – plus I often serve it with a side of baked or grilled chicken or some meatballs for protein. After all, it makes a HUGE batch, so we’re often eating it at a potluck.
The recipe is easy, using just a handful of ingredients, and comes together in minutes. Plus, do you see how cheesy this baked penne is??? OMG.
Penne Pasta Bake Secret Ingredients
There are two secret ingredients in this baked penne pasta. Can you guess what they are? They’re two things I’d never seen in a pasta recipe before, but they make the end result so cheesy and creamy I just never leave them out.
By the way, these two ingredients, if they weird you out, are two things I never eat alone. I ONLY use them in recipes, like Cheesy Egg Casserole.
- The cottage cheese adds body (and protein) to the dish. You don’t taste it at all, plus it makes it even more cheesy. There’s TONS of mozzarella to make you forget about the cottage cheese, but this dish wouldn’t be as good without it.
- Sour cream adds so much creaminess to this easy baked penne recipe. This result is almost like a creamy tomato sauce.
- What other ingredients are there? Just pasta, spaghetti sauce, and garlic. You can use any jarred pasta sauce you like (I’ve used a variety of brands). OR, you can make your own red sauce.
- I always kick it up by adding TONS (5 cloves) of pressed garlic. If you’re not a garlic lover, you can leave that out, but it gives a wonderful flavor to the dish. (Plus, it wards off vampires.) Then you add tons of cheese and bake it up.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for topping
How to Make Easy Baked Penne
- Boil the pasta in a large pot over medium heat until al dente. It will finish baking in the oven.
- Stir together the marinara sauce, cheeses, and garlic.
- Stir in the pasta and place it in the pan. Add more cheese and some ground black pepper.
- Bake until bubbly and golden. Serve with fresh basil.
Tip From Dorothy
Expert Tips
- If you want to add some meat you can use cooked ground turkey, ground beef, Italian sausage, or leftover cooked chicken.
- Turn this into baked ziti by using ziti shaped pasta.
- You can also sprinkle parmesan cheese on top along with the mozzarella.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave.
Easy Baked Penne
Ingredients
- 1 12-16 ounce box penne pasta
- 1 24 ounce jar pasta sauce (and brand/flavor you like)
- 8 ounces cottage cheese , low fat is fine
- 8 ounces sour cream , low fat is fine
- 5 cloves garlic , pressed
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella , divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook pasta according to package directions then drain well.
- In a bowl or in the pasta pan, stir together pasta sauce, cottage cheese, sour cream, and garlic. Stir in pasta, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheese.
- Spread pasta in a 9×13” baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups cheese on top.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the pasta is hot all the way through and cheese is melted. Serve hot. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe Nutrition
Caramelized Onion and Pesto Flatbread
If you like this you’ll also like Buffalo Chicken Pasta Bake, Baked Pasta with Sausage, Mushroom, and Spinach, and Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Baked Pasta.
I have made this several times now and must sat IT IS DELICIOUS! Perfect for a damp, chilly day (like today). Very quick to make and can taste different depending on what sauce you use. Love it!
Did everything exactly but added diced red onions, green, yellow, and red peppers, along with mushrooms to make it more vegetarian divine and everyone loved it. I added some oregano, basil, and lemon pepper to the mixture with 6 cloves of garlic (cause I love garlic) and this was marvelous. Thank you Dorothy for your recipes.
I’m going to make this. Actually, I grew up eating my grandmother’s egg noodle casserole made with sour cream, cottage cheese, butter and broad noodles… topped with Rice Krispies! Sounds bad but tastes delicious 😋
I made this tonight and my family devoured it. At first, I didn’t think it would be enough but I was pleasantly surprised not only how much it made but how filling and delicious it was. Thank you for posting this quick and easy tasty meal!
Dorothy, this looks so good! I’m all about the cheese and dairy! Do you happen to know where your friend got her original recipe?
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