Best Two Cheese Pasta Bake Recipes

EASY DOUBLE CHEESE BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 5-quart Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in cooked pasta, salt, pepper and pasta sauce.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spoon half of pasta mixture (about 3 1/2 cups) into bottom of baking dish. Spoon ricotta mixture evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with remaining 1 1/4 cups cheese.
• Spray piece of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
• To Make Ahead: Wrap foil-covered casserole in double layer of plastic wrap; label and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and bake: Thaw overnight or until completely thawed in refrigerator. Remove plastic. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until center is hot (165°F) and cheese is melted. To bake from freezer (no thawing): Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic. Bake 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until center is hot (165°F) and cheese is melted.

PASTA BAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Note: This recipe uses a lot of sauce, but the pasta absorbs a lot of it when it bakes. We don't want dry pasta.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Combine the Ricotta, Parmesan, egg, and 1 cup (not all) mozzarella cheese and set aside.
• Begin boiling the pasta water while you cook the meat for the sauce. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than al dente, then drain. (Be sure to time it exactly so that you don't end up with mushy pasta.)
• Cook and crumble the ground beef and diced onions over medium-high heat. Drain grease. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, salt/pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add the marinara sauce. Stir to combine and heat through. Remove from heat.
• Combine the drained pasta with about ¾ of the sauce mixture and transfer it to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Add dollops of the ricotta mixture over the top, then the rest of the meat sauce.
• Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove and top with remaining 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese. Increase oven temp to 400 and bake uncovered for 10-15 more minutes, until the top begins to bubble and brown.
• Garnish with parsley and serve with garlic bread with cheese.

TWO-CHEESE SPAGHETTI BAKE

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add spaghetti sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain spaghetti; stir into beef mixture. Set aside. , In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt; gradually stir in milk and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add 1/2 cup process cheese and Parmesan cheese; stir until melted., Spread half of the spaghetti mixture into a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Cover with cheese sauce; top with remaining spaghetti mixture and process cheese. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

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.

PENNE WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND TWO CHEESES

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, dried basil and crushed red pepper. Bring to boil, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer and mixture thickens to chunky sauce and is reduced to 6 cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well.
• Return pasta to same pot. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Pour sauce over and toss to blend. Mix in Havarti cheese. Transfer pasta to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with olives, then Parmesan.
• Bake until pasta is heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

TWO-CHEESE PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to pack instructions until almost tender. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain again, then set aside.
• In a heavy-based pan combine the wine, cream and Tabasco sauce, then gently heat. Gradually add half the cheddar and half the stilton, whisking constantly. Whisk in the sage and thyme and a good sprinkling of black pepper. When the mixture is smooth remove from the heat.
• Place the pasta in a buttered 1.4 litre/2½ pint ovenproof dish. Pour the cheese and cream mixture over and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
• Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil and arrange the tomato slices on top. Bake, uncovered, for 10 mins until the tomatoes are softened, the pasta is tender and the sauce has all been absorbed into the pasta. Serve immediately with a crisp winter salad and crusty bread.

ITALIAN BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta in generously salted water 3 minutes less than recommended on package. Drain.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• Pour 2 cups of the marinara sauce into dish. Add half of cooked pasta; toss well. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Spoon half of the ricotta cheese in dollops over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers ending with mozzarella cheese. Cover lightly with foil, making sure foil is not resting on cheese.
• Bake 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until center is bubbly and thoroughly heated. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

CHEESY BAKED PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.