Pasta Bake – think lashings of a cheesy, or tomato and cheesy sauce with perfectly cooked pasta, often with a variety of different ingredients for flavour and texture, and finished off with a crispy cheesy top. These add-ins can be vegetarian or include meat or fish. Sometimes however, there may be no add-ins, such as in a macaroni cheese. Either way, Pasta Bake is dreamy comfort food, often served with a salad on the side and, if you are really pushing the boat out, a generous portion of freshly baked garlic bread. Oh yum.

This reliable and delicious Core Recipe lends itself to many, many variations and I will be posting some of my favourites. But use your imagination, or more likely in these times of COVID 19, see what you have lurking in your fridge and cupboards and create your own! It is pretty foolproof and very forgiving.

A variety of recipes based on Pasta Bake – Core Recipe

Keep an eye out for these dishes:

Dishes already posted:

Photograph of Tuna Pasta Bake with Roast Red Peppers, Sweetcorn and Spinach

Photograph of Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake with Broccoli, Cauliflower, Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Dishes I plan to post:

Macaroni Cheese with Prosciutto
Macaroni Cheese, Broccoli and Cauliflower Bake
Macaroni Cheese with Salmon, Broccoli and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Pasta Bake with Smoked Salmon, Spinach, Petit Pois and Lemon
Three Cheese Roast Vegetable Pasta Bake
Italian Sausage and Roast Vegetable Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake
Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Bake with Spinach
Chicken, Bacon and Leek Pasta Bake
Creamy Chorizo and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake with Tomatoes and Chilli
Macaroni Cheese with Smoked Paprika Chicken and Roast Peppers
Rigatoni, Taleggio, Pancetta and Thyme Pasta Bake
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake with Peas
Tuna and Sweetcorn Pasta Bake with Peas, Tomatoes and Chilli

How to make Pasta Bake – Core Recipe

This recipe may seem a bit daunting laid out as it is; there are many options and potential add-ins as well as choices over types of sauce, types of cheese as well as cooked or uncooked add-ins. However, the concept is simple. You just need to choose your:

Pasta
Type of sauce
Add-ins

Then all you need to do is:

Prepare
Bake
Eat
Enjoy!

If you are at all confused, I hope the recipes I post will show you how easy they are to make. I hope you enjoy them and I also hope they will inspire you to develop your own Pasta Bakes using your favourite ingredients.

Pasta

First select which type of pasta you wish to use or have available! My favourites are:

macaroni
penne
fusilli
rigatoni
orecchiette
ziti
farfalle

Cook the pasta in unsalted water according to packet instructions but for 2 minutes less than recommended, usually around 8 – 12 minutes. When the pasta is al dente, drain well.

Add-ins – these need to be cooked before adding

If using add-ins, I recommend using up to a combined total of 2 – 3 cups of prepared add-ins from this list and the list below:

White or red onion – peeled and chopped, fried or roast
Chicken – grilled, fried or roast and chopped
Bacon – fried or grilled and chopped
Sausages – fried, grilled or oven baked and sliced
Broccoli – in florets, boiled/steamed very quickly (optional)
Cauliflower – in florets, boiled/steamed very quickly
Leek – trimmed, washed and sliced, fried or roast
Pepper – stems and seeds removed, chopped, roast or fried
Mushrooms – sliced, fried or roast
Courgette/Zucchini – sliced, fried or roast
Butternut squash – peeled, cubed and roast, fried or boiled/steamed
Sweet potato – peeled, cubed and roast, fried or boiled/steamed

Add-ins – these do not need to be cooked before adding

If using add-ins, I recommend using up to a combined total of 2 – 3 cups of prepared add-ins from this list and the list above:

White or red onion – peeled and finely chopped/sliced/grated
Spring onion – trimmed and chopped
Cooked ham – cubed
Cured meats – chopped or scrunched and cooked on top of the bake
Prawns/shrimp – added whole or halved
Smoked salmon – chopped
Tinned or fresh salmon – broken up/sliced
Tinned tuna – broken up
Fresh herbs – chopped or shredded
Tomatoes – halved if small or chopped
Courgette/Zucchini – thinly sliced or grated
Baby spinach – shredded or left whole, wilted in the sauce
Broccoli – in small florets
Frozen or canned sweetcorn – stirred into the sauce
Frozen peas and/or carrots – stirred into the sauce
Fresh carrots – grated or finely diced
Olives – whole or halved
Sun-dried tomatoes – whole, halved or chopped
Bottled roast peppers – chopped

Sauce

Two different types of sauce:

I’m sharing recipes for 2 different types of sauce – a cheesy sauce and a tomatoey cheesy sauce. They are pretty much interchangeable and depends on your personal preference and what ingredients you have available to you.

Two sets of quantities:

For each type of sauce, I’m giving 2 sets of quantities. One for a pasta bake with no add-ins and a second, slightly larger quantity, for a pasta bake with add-ins. The method used for making these sauces however, is exactly the same.

How to make the Sauce

Mastering this sauce is one of the most basic and useful skills you need when cooking. Sauces made using this method can be flavoured and seasoned and used in many different ways such as a béchamel sauce (made with flavoured milk), a velouté (made with stock), cheese sauce or parsley sauce. You can even make sweet flavoured sauces.

Collect all your ingredients together:

unsalted butter
peeled and crushed garlic, if using
plain flour
liquid – in this case milk or milk and passata
fine salt
freshly ground black pepper
grated cheese, if using

You start by making roux. This is when you cook equal quantities of fat (normally butter) and flour and then add your chosen liquid – this could be milk, stock, cream or, for the tomatoey cheesy sauce, a mixture of milk and passata.

in a medium saucepan melt the butter, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic
add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
change to a balloon whisk before you add the milk/milk and passata
pour in the milk/milk and passata all at once
mix vigorously with a balloon whisk until evenly incorporated and there are no lumps. Bring to the boil – as it heats, the sauce will thicken
now I prefer to use my wooden spoon again. Reduce the temperature and simmer gently for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring continuously.

Traditionally you would cook your roux over a medium heat for a couple of minutes and then slowly add your liquid. I prefer the ‘quick method’ when you cook your roux and then add all the liquid at once. Be sure to cook the sauce for a few minutes – if you do not do this your sauce will taste of flour.

The amount of liquid you add will depend on how thick you want the sauce to be. If you want a thicker sauce, simply add less liquid and if you need it to be thinner, use more liquid.

After you have cooked your sauce for a few minutes, you can add your flavourings. For Pasta Bake, this will more than likely be cheese. However, please see the Recipe Notes if you want to make a Pasta Bake without cheese. Do not add your salt and pepper until after all the cheese has melted. Cheese can be quite salty so it is important to taste the sauce before deciding how much salt and pepper to add.

Cheese

My favourite cheeses to use in Pasta Bakes are:

mature cheddar
gruyere
mozzarella
parmesan

However, there are many others which work well too, such as:

Comte
Taleggio
Blue cheese such as Stilton
Red Leicester
Emmenthal

To get the best results, grate your own cheese rather than buying shop bought grated cheese. These cheeses often have added ingredients to stop the grated cheese sticking together.

Bake

When you have cooked your pasta, prepared your add-ins and made the sauce, you simply need to mix everything together.

Tip into a greased baking dish, cover with foil and cook until very hot. Remove the foil, scatter over the remaining cheese and put back in the oven, uncovered, to finish cooking. Serve, sprinkled with chopped herbs, and with your choice of serving options (See Recipe Notes.)

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodilkitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Pasta Bake – Core Recipe

Pasta Bake – think lashings of a cheesy, or tomato and cheesy sauce with perfectly cooked pasta, often with a variety of different ingredients for flavour and texture, and finished off with a crispy cheesy top. Oh yum! Served with a salad and warm fresh garlic bread – dreamy comfort food!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Supper

Cuisine Modern European

Keyword Cheese, Comfort Food, Pasta, Tomato

Servings 4

Author Susan

Ingredients

Pasta:

200g dried pasta e.g. macaroni, penne, fusilli, rigatoni, orecchiette, ziti, farfalle
1½ teaspoons fine salt

For cheesy sauce (if not adding any ingredients additional to the pasta):

35g unsalted butter
12g/3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
35g plain/all-purpose flour
525 ml milk
175g – 200g grated cheese/mix of cheese e.g. cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon fine salt
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For cheesy sauce (if adding extra ingredients additional to the pasta):

40g unsalted butter
16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
40g plain/all-purpose flour
600ml milk
200g – 250g grated cheese/mix of cheese e.g. cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon fine salt
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For creamy tomato cheesy sauce (if not adding any ingredients additional to the pasta):

35g unsalted butter
12g/3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
35g plain/all-purpose flour
350ml passata
250 ml milk
175g – 200g grated cheese/mix of cheese e.g. cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan
½ teaspoon sugar
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon fine salt
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For a creamy tomato cheesy sauce (if adding extra ingredients additional to the pasta):

40g unsalted butter
16g/4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
40g plain/all-purpose flour
400ml passata
300 ml milk
200g – 250g grated cheese/mix of cheese e.g. cheddar, mozzarella, parmes
½ plus ⅛ teaspoon sugar
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon fine salt
⅛ – ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to Fan Oven 180°C/200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
For the pasta: cook the pasta in salted water according to packet instructions but for 2 minutes less than recommended, usually around 8 – 12 minutes. When the pasta is al dente, drain well.
For the sauce: in a medium saucepan melt the butter, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until aromatic. Add the flour and cook for a couple of minutes stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
Add all the milk or passata and milk mix to the butter, garlic and flour and mix vigorously with a balloon whisk until evenly incorporated and there are no lumps. Bring to the boil, reduce the temperature and simmer gently for 3 – 4 minutes, stirring continuously, either with a wooden spoon or the balloon whisk.
Mix the cheeses together and stir ¾ of the cheese into the sauce and mix well. Set the remaining cheese aside for the topping.
Add the freshly ground black pepper (and the sugar, if using) and taste to see if it needs any extra seasoning. If adding salt, start with ⅛ teaspoon and try the sauce again before adding more.
Stir in any add-ins and the cooked pasta.
Spoon the pasta and sauce into a buttered ovenproof dish and cover with foil.
To cook: bake in the oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until hot and bubbling. (If you have prepared the Pasta Bake in advance and you are cooking it straight from the fridge, see Recipe Notes below for timings.)
Take out of the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Put back in the oven, uncovered, for a final 10 – 15 minutes. It is cooked when the cheese has melted and lightly browned and the bake is piping hot throughout.
Take out of the oven and sprinkle with herbs such as chopped parsley or shredded basil. Serve with your choice of serving options.(See Recipe Notes).

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

kitchen scales and measuring spoons
chopping board and knife
baking tray
medium saucepan x 2
cheese grater
sieve or colander
buttered ovenproof dish

Serving options:

Crisp green salad
Crisp mixed salad
Rocket leaves
Salad dressing e.g. balsamic dressing
Garlic bread
Shredded basil leaves or chopped parsley
Pesto e.g. basil, wild garlic

Cheese:

You can choose the combination suggested here, or, if you prefer you can use just cheddar cheese or a mix of cheddar and mozzarella or mozzarella and parmesan. Alternatively you could use some gruyere cheese or Red Leicester or any of the cheeses recommended.

Without cheese:

If you want to make this without cheese, add the following ingredients to the sauce and top with a breadcrumb topping:

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder

Breadcrumb topping:

50g panko breadcrumbs
30g butter, melted
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Mix together thoroughly
Remove the foil from the pasta 15minutes before the end of cooking (as opposed to 10 minutes) and sprinkle over the pasta before putting back in the oven

Portions:

This really depends on how hungry you are! I find the quantity here is more than sufficient for 4 of us with a salad and garlic bread. However if you have big appetites or are feeding teenage boys you may wish to increase by 50% or even double the quantities. Any left overs warm up really well in the microwave the following day.

Cooking times:

The length of time your Pasta Bake will take to cook will depend on:

the dish you have used, which in turn will affect the depth of the Pasta Bake
your oven, and
how cold the Bake is before going into the oven.

Before adding the cheese, check the centre of the Bake. Sometimes the edges are bubbling and very hot whilst the centre can still be only a little warm. Add the cheese when the centre is hot but not yet boiling/bubbling.

Cooking from the fridge:

If you have prepared this dish in advance, up until the end of point 11, and you are cooking it directly from the fridge, you will need to give it an extra 10 minutes in the oven with the foil. I.e. foil on for 40 minutes, remove foil, top with remaining cheese and continue to cook without the foil for a further 10 – 15 minutes.