Food and Recipes Quick and Easy Dinner 44 Baked Pasta Dishes That'll Feed a Crowd By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch These hearty baked pasta recipes are the perfect crowd-pleasing meal. Bake a melty masterpiece to enjoy right away, or stock up the freezer with these tasty make-ahead options. Pasta tastes perfect fresh out of the pot, but these easy, baked pasta recipes show you how simple it is to savor pasta fresh out of the oven. When you need a make-ahead meal, you'll appreciate a Southern staple like our Chicken-Spaghetti Casserole, Baked Ziti with Sausage, the Classic Chicken Tetrazzini, or any of our many other baked pasta recipes. Scrumptious Baked Smokin' Macaroni and Cheese is light on both butter and cheese, and ideal for add-ins: think sweet peas and prosciutto or ham and broccoli. So for a mouthwatering lasagna, a fresh new approach to your favorite mac 'n' cheese, or a new way to enjoy vegetable casseroles, preheat your ovens and prepare to delight in one of these fantastic baked pasta recipes. 01 of 44 Baked Ziti With Meatballs Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Ziti With Meatballs Convenience items like frozen meatballs and jarred marinara sauce help this hearty dinner come together in just 30 minutes. 02 of 44 Baked Ziti with Chicken Photographer: Will Dickey Prop Stylist: Missie Crawford Food Stylist: Erin Merhar Recipe: Baked Ziti with Chicken While baked ziti recipes usually call on ground beef, this version uses rotisserie chicken. 03 of 44 Chicken-and-Broccoli Pasta Bake Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Recipe: Chicken-and-Broccoli Pasta Bake With just 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can get this family-friendly dinner on the table. 04 of 44 Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole Greg DuPree Recipe: Creamy Chicken Alfredo Casserole This simple pasta bake recipe is the perfect example of dressing up a jar of pasta sauce at suppertime. 05 of 44 Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Southern Living Recipe: Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole We know there's a package of ground beef sitting in your freezer right now—here's what to do with it. 06 of 44 Baked Linguine With Spicy Tomato-Cream Sauce Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Linguine With Spicy Tomato-Cream Sauce What if we told you it's possible to create this pretty dish in just 20 minutes? 07 of 44 Chicken-Bacon Ranch Casserole Alison Miksch Recipe: Chicken-Bacon Ranch Casserole Three words that make any dinner a hit? Chicken, bacon, and ranch. 08 of 44 Ravioli Lasagna Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee Recipe: Ravioli Lasagna This recipe brings two classic pasta dishes together in one skillet. 09 of 44 Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella Photo: Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Baked Rigatoni with Zucchini and Mozzarella Think of this baked rigatoni as an easy take on lasagna that comes together in a springform pan. 10 of 44 Skillet-Baked Ziti with Andouille, Tomatoes, and Peppers Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Skillet-Baked Ziti with Andouille, Tomatoes, and Peppers You'll know this skillet pasta bake is ready to come out of the oven when it's bubbling and golden brown on top. 11 of 44 Fusilli Pasta with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos Recipe: Fusilli Pasta with Spinach, Tomato, and Bacon We love using our sheet pan for easy one-dish dinners, but did you know you can use it for pasta night, too? Meet the cheesy recipe you'll make on repeat. 12 of 44 Beefy Baked Ravioli with Spinach and Cheese Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Beefy Baked Ravioli with Spinach and Cheese We prepared this 30-minute recipe with ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken if you prefer. 13 of 44 Meatball Pasta Bake Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Meatball Pasta Bake Orange juice and fennel give this quick supper bright, fresh flavor. Chop fennel as you would an onion, or omit it, if desired. 14 of 44 Chicken-and-Broccoli Skillet Pasta Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Chicken-and-Broccoli Skillet Pasta You pop this skillet supper under the broiler to be sure the cheese gets nice and melty. 15 of 44 Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Alison Miksch Recipe: Baked Ziti with Summer Vegetables Lighten up your usual pasta bake with fresh farmers' market veggies this summer. 16 of 44 Baked Tortellini Alfredo With Mushrooms Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Baked Tortellini Alfredo With Mushrooms We can't count how many times a package of refrigerated tortellini has saved us from a boring dinner. 17 of 44 Smoked-Pork-Stuffed Pasta Shells Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Smoked-Pork-Stuffed Pasta Shells Pick up smoked barbecue from your favorite local spot for this super-easy supper. Plus, the recipe includes directions for baking right away or freezing and baking later for busy weeks. 18 of 44 Chicken-Spaghetti Casserole Hector Sanchez Recipe: Chicken-Spaghetti Casserole Cooking the spaghetti in the chicken broth will give you an even stronger, more savory flavor. 19 of 44 Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Kale and Pasta Bake Reviewers rave about this comforting pasta bake that sneaks in good-for-you kale (even kids love it!). 20 of 44 Healthy Turkey Lasagna Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Healthy Turkey Lasagna Our favorite recipe from the Cooking Light column, this lightened-up lasagna tastes every bit as flavorful as the traditional version. 21 of 44 Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake Iain Bagwell Recipe: Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake Cheese-filled tortellini and a chopped pecan topping add extra flavor to this kid-friendly Pasta-Chicken-Broccoli Bake, while broccoli and red bell pepper contribute pops of color throughout this one-dish meal. 22 of 44 Baked Ziti with Sausage Southern Living Recipe: Baked Ziti with Sausage Pancetta, or cured pork belly, is the same thing as bacon without the smoke. Find it in the deli case of most supermarkets. Native to Italy, San Marzano tomatoes are known for their sweet flavor. Consider trying them in place of regular crushed tomatoes in the sauce. 23 of 44 Mac and Cheese with Ham Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Mac and Cheese with Ham This delicious mac and cheese is light on butter and cheese yet still melts in your mouth. Change the flavor profile of the recipe with combinations such as sweet peas and proscuitto or ham and broccoli. 24 of 44 Creamy Spring Pasta Bake Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Creamy Spring Pasta Bake Baked pasta gets a spring spin with baby sweet peas and ham. We love the crunchy, savory topping made with croutons and Parmesan cheese. 25 of 44 Pizza Casserole Deluxe Photo: Greg Dupree Recipe: Pizza Casserole Deluxe Win over all of the kids and grown-ups in your house with this new instant classic that feeds more than two everything pizzas. Fresh and packaged mozzarella give it the best melty consistency. 26 of 44 Fresh Vegetable Lasagna Photo: Jennifer Davick Recipe: Fresh Vegetable Lasagna This vegetable lasagna showcases a plethora of fresh veggies from zucchini, to mushrooms, to red and yellow bell peppers. 27 of 44 King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Recipe: King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese All the flavors of a favorite casserole come together in the comfort of mac and cheese. Freeze this hearty, cheesy favorite in lidded bakeware for easy transport between oven, freezer, and fridge. 28 of 44 New Tuna Casserole Greg Dupree Recipe: New Tuna Casserole Our take on the classic hits the high notes: creamy, cheesy, fresh, and crunchy. Resist digging into the casserole right out of the oven. Letting it stand for 10 minutes allows it to firm up to the perfect consistency. 29 of 44 Crispy Chicken Thighs with Pasta and Pesto Photo: Greg Dupree Recipe: Crispy Chicken Thighs with Pasta and Pesto This stovetop-to-oven method yields crisp, dark-golden skin and juicy, tender meat. 30 of 44 Lasagna Roll Ups Hector Sanchez Recipe: Lasagna Roll Ups These lasagna rolls are the perfect meal to freeze individually and thaw according to your dinnertime head count. 31 of 44 Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford Recipe: Vanessa's Make-Ahead Beefy Lasagna A container of refrigerated pesto adds distinctive flavor to this basic beef-and-cheese lasagna, and the unbaked lasagna can be frozen for up to three months. 32 of 44 Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Turkey-Noodle-Poppy Seed Casserole This recipe came from the pages of the November 1990 issue of Southern Living, and it has undoubtedly stood the test of time. 33 of 44 Butternut Squash Lasagna Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Butternut Squash Lasagna This fall version of lasagna is the ideal hearty dinner for a chilly night. 34 of 44 Ham and Noodle Casserole Jen Causey Recipe: Ham and Noodle Casserole This retro casserole is just the thing to have sitting in your freezer for Sunday suppers or busy weeknights. 35 of 44 Italian Casserole Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Italian Casserole This has been a Southern Living standby for decades of holidays. It's always ready in the freezer for drop-by guests! 36 of 44 Pizza Spaghetti Casserole Beth Dreiling; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Pizza Spaghetti Casserole You can freeze this casserole unbaked for up to a month for nights when you're in need of a kid-friendly dinner that no one will whine about. 37 of 44 Greek Baked Ziti Greg Dupree Recipe: Greek Baked Ziti The combination of Greek spices will make your pasta supper feel special. 38 of 44 Leftover Turkey Casserole Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen Recipe: Leftover Turkey Casserole Your day-after-Thanksgiving leftovers just got so much tastier than a turkey sandwich. 39 of 44 Homemade Baked Lasagna Southern Living Recipe: Homemade Baked Lasagna Consider this your go-to, no-frills lasagna recipe. 40 of 44 Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna SL Van Chaplin Recipe: Spinach-Ravioli Lasagna Store-bought sauces and frozen ravioli meet in this extra-creamy twist on lasagna. 41 of 44 Three-Cheese Pasta Bake Recipe: Three-Cheese Pasta Bake This grown-up version of mac and cheese is just as delicious as the classic recipe. 42 of 44 Spinach-and-Herb Pastatta Melina Hammer Recipe: Spinach-and-Herb Pastatta This cross between a frittata and your usual pasta night dinner is pretty enough for Mama's visit. 43 of 44 Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Recipe: Classic Chicken Tetrazzini Freshly-grated Parmesan adds the cheesy flavor to this casserole. This recipe is great for making ahead and freezing. 44 of 44 Sausage-Pimiento Cheese Pasta Rollups Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Sausage-Pimiento Cheese Pasta Rollups Pimiento cheese isn't just for snacking. It gives this pasta rollup recipe a delicious flavor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit