Best Italian Bake Recipes

ITALIAN PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add to beef mixture and gently stir in sliced plum tomatoes. , Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

MAKE AHEAD ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cut sausage into 1/2 inch chunks. I large skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat, in batches and adding oil if necessary. Transfer sausage to a bowl.
• Pour off any fat from pan. Add onions, garlic and red pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and fennel seeds; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Return sausage and any accumulated juices to pan; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 6 minutes, add spinach;cook for 1 minute. Drain well and return to pot. Add sausage mixture and provolone/mozzarella cheese; stir to combine well.
• Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 13x9-inch dish. Sprinkle with Asiago/parmesan cheese. Cover dish with greased foil, greased side down.
• To serve: Bake, covered with foil, in in 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or for 1 hour if from the refrigerator. This freezes beautifully (thaw in refrigerator before baking).

ITALIAN SAUSAGE RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook rigatoni according to package directions; drain., In a large skillet, cook sausage, mushrooms and pepper over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, breaking up sausage into crumbles, 8-10 minutes; drain. Stir in marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese and cream. Add rigatoni and toss to coat., In each of 2 greased 8-in. square baking dishes, layer one-fourth of the rigatoni mixture and one-fourth of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, until heated through and cheese is melted, 25-35 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if tops brown too quickly.) Freeze option: Cool unbaked casseroles; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake casseroles as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE RAVIOLI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch dish and set aside.
• Cook Italian sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain off grease. Add spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian dressing, and sugar. Mix until well combined. Remove from heat and add uncooked ravioli; stir to combine. Pour into the prepared dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until ravioli are tender, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Top with mozzarella cheese and let sit until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE EGG BAKE

Steps:

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; set aside. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Spoon sausage over bread; sprinkle with cheeses. , In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and seasonings; pour over casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

EASY ITALIAN PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Brown meat in large skillet; drain.
• Add cooked pasta, sauce, and half of the parmesan; mix well.
• Spoon into 13X9-inch baking dish.
• Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining parmesan.
• Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE TORTELLINI BAKE

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Crumble sausage into the saucepan; add onion and green bell pepper. Cook and stir the sausage mixture until the sausage is completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain grease.
• Pour marinara sauce and diced tomatoes over the sausage mixture; season with garlic powder and stir. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the diced tomatoes break down into the sauce, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the frozen tortellini at a boil until they float to the top and the filling is hot, 6 to 7 minutes; drain.
• Gently fold the cooked tortellini into the simmering sauce; cook together another 5 minutes. Pour tortellini and sauce into a 13x9-inch baking dish; top with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

ITALIAN PASTA AND BEEF BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook mostaccioli as directed on package. Drain.
• Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, tomatoes and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; pour into sprayed baking dish.
• Add cooked mostaccioli; stir gently to mix. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; place sprayed side down on baking dish and seal tightly.
• Bake at 350°F. for 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and cheese is melted.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain macaroni., In a large bowl, combine the macaroni, sausage mixture, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, basil and pepper. , Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

ITALIAN BOW TIE BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine spaghetti sauce and salad dressing mix. Add pasta; toss to coat. , Transfer to a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

CHEESY ITALIAN SAUSAGE & POTATO BAKE RECIPE - (4/5)

Steps:

• Place the potatoes, carrot and onion in a 2.5 quart lightly greased casserole dish. Add the oil, house seasoning and Italian seasoning. Toss to coat well then dot the potatoes with the butter. Lay the sausages across the top. Cover with tinfoil and place in a 425° oven for 30 minutes. Remove and uncover, return to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and top with the cheese and place back in the oven for 10 minutes.

ITALIAN BROCCOLI & SALMON BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C and get out an ovenproof dish (measuring 20 by 30cm, and about 5cm deep). Meanwhile, put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta. When it is boiling rapidly, tip in the pasta with a generous sprinkling of salt. Give it a stir, return to the boil and cook for 6 minutes. Add the broccoli, then return the water to the boil and cook for 4 minutes more, until the broccoli is on the firm side of just tender. Drain well.
• While the pasta is cooking, put the butter, flour and milk in a large pan and heat, whisking or stirring continuously, until it thickens to make a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the mascarpone, sun-dried tomatoes, capers (if using), anchovies (if using) and basil, then add the pasta and broccoli and season well.
• Halve the salmon fillets widthways (you will see that there is an obvious divide on each fillet) then place the pieces in a single layer on the base of the ovenproof dish. Spoon the broccoli mixture on top, then scatter with the grated cheddar. (You can chill this for up to 4 hours if you want to get ahead.)
• Bake for 30 minutes until the mixture is just starting to bubble round the edges and the mixture is pale golden - don't let it go too dark or the fish will overcook.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT BALLS (USE JUST LIKE MEATBALLS) FRY OR BAKE

Steps:

• In food processor, prepare the ingredients that need to be minced or diced mentioned above.
• In a large saucepan, heat oil & gently sauté garlic until golden brown.
• Add diced eggplant & water - then cover & simmer under low heat until eggplant is VERY soft. Drain if watery when done then transfer to large bowl.
• Combine eggplant, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs and cheese in large bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes.
• Form into balls (same size as you prefer your meatballs to be) and fry in olive oil in large pan or bake in over for 30-35 minute at 325º or until brown.

ITALIAN EGGPLANT TOMATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a plastic bag, combine the flour, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning. Shake to mix. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and water. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. There should be enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the skillet. Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then place in the bag and shake to coat. Fry the slices in the skillet until golden brown on each side. Remove, and drain on paper towels.
• Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish. Cover with the eggplant slices, then top with more sauce. Mix together the ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese; spread over the eggplant. Spread sauce over the cheese, and top with tomato slices. Cover with more sauce, and spread remaining cheese over the top.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Drain. Serve the eggplant tomato bake over pasta.

ITALIAN BREAKFAST POTATO BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and mushrooms; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and garlic; cook and stir until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Combine remaining 7 tablespoons butter and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Whisk eggs, sour cream, and parsley together in a large bowl. Fold in sausage mixture, potatoes, and Cheddar cheese. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Turn out into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Scatter goat cheese on top. Slice into 9 pieces.

ITALIAN - CHEESY BACON / CHICKEN PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. Cook and drain your pasta. Set aside.
• 2. In a large skillet fry your bacon crisp, remove to a paper towel to drain.
• 3. Save about 4 tablespoons of bacon grease, and brown your seasoned chicken in the same skillet till juices no longer run pink.
• 4. In another large skillet or you can use the same one as chicken, once removed. Brown your onions and garlic with the olive oil. Till tender.
• 5. Next, add your tomatoes and cream, bring to a slow boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes until begins to thicken some. Stir in the cream cheese and half the mozzarella cheese until thoroughly blended. Add the chicken to the sauce.
• 6. In the dutch oven I boiled my pasta in; add the pan of sauce to the pasta, and stir till evenly coated. Spread the pasta into the baking dish. sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Then top cheese with oregano. And finally top with bacon.
• 7. Place the dish into the oven, and bake for approx 40 - 45 minutes or until bubbly. I then placed under a broiler to brown a bit more ( do not have to ). Let the pasta set for 5 minutes before serving. I served the pasta with buttered Vienna bread. Enjoy!

ITALIAN CHICKEN BAKE

Steps:

• Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until softened. Add the oregano, tomatoes and sugar, a little splash of vinegar and some salt and pepper, then simmer for 20 mins until the sauce is really thick. Stir in the chicken and transfer to a baking dish.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Tear over the mozzarella in chunks, then scatter over with the breadcrumbs with a bit more ground pepper. Bake for 20 mins until the chicken is piping hot through and the top is golden and bubbling. eat with mash, jacket potatoes, rice or pasta.

SLICE-AND-BAKE ITALIAN RAINBOW COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and almond extract until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to medium low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until the dough just comes together.
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and place each in a separate small bowl. With gloved hands or a rubber spatula, use the food coloring to tint one piece red, one yellow and one green. Starting with the green dough on a piece of parchment, shape it into a rectangle that's about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide, using the parchment and a bench scraper to make the dough as rectangular and even as possible. Repeat with the yellow and red dough on separate sheets of parchment. Using the parchment to help lift the dough, carefully invert the yellow rectangle on top of the green, pressing gently to adhere. Remove and discard the parchment. Finally, use the parchment to carefully lift and invert the red rectangle on top of the yellow, pressing gently to adhere; remove and discard the parchment. Use the bench scraper to even out all the sides. Wrap the entire log of dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
• Trim the ends of the dough log with a sharp knife, then slice crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick rectangles. Arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and refrigerate until ready to bake, at least 15 minutes.
• Bake one baking sheet at a time until the cookies are just set around the edges and golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the chocolate icing: Once the cookies have cooled, combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir with a small silicone spatula until melted and smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the raspberry extract; let cool 5 minutes.
• Dip each cookie at an angle into the chocolate icing and coat about one-third of the way up, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Once all the cookies are dipped, wiggle a small offset spatula through the chocolate coating on each to create ripples. Let set, about 35 minutes. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

VELVEETA® ITALIAN SAUSAGE BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown sausage in large deep skillet on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to break up sausage. Drain; return sausage to skillet. Stir in zucchini, peppers and pizza sauce; cook 5 to 6 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.
• Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture with VELVEETA; mix lightly. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with Parmesan.
• Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through.

ITALIAN SUMMER SQUASH POLENTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Saute carrots, zucchini, squash, onion and bell pepper in a large saucepan with a small amount of olive oil. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Saute vegetables for approximately 5 minutes and pour in spaghetti sauce. Stir, cover and simmer until vegetables are slightly tender.
• Slice polenta into 1/2 inch circles and season with garlic salt and pepper. Heat enough oil in a medium skillet so as to completely cover the entire bottom of the pan. Pan fry seasoned polenta in hot oil, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from oil and layer the slices in a large casserole dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture over the polenta and then sprinkle with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake casserole for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.