Simple Baked Pasta Recipes That Will Impress All Of Your Guests

When you're cooking for a large group of hungry people, reaching for a baked pasta recipe is always a golden idea. Baked pasta is relatively easy to make, you can adjust recipes to match exactly how many mouths you need to feed, and even the pickiest of eaters probably won't hesitate to give it a try.

If your only pasta experience is with cooked pasta, you shouldn't be intimidated, as making baked pasta is pretty similar. While there's a difference, you will quickly catch on. As a matter of fact, it's so easy that you shouldn't be surprised if you never switch back to basic boiled pasta again.

By following one of these Mashed recipes, a mouthwatering baked pasta dinner will be in your near future. You'll be thrilled with how effortless it is to make, and your guests will be impressed by how great it tastes. It's a win-win for everyone involved.

Spaghetti and meatballs casserole

Growing up, you probably always looked forward to nights when you had spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. For the baked version of that classic American dish, check out our recipe for spaghetti and meatballs casserole. It's everything you remember from your childhood, but with a uniqueness that only baked pasta can provide. While you'll need a bunch of ingredients, the dish will be ready to serve after only 15 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cook time.

Baked spaghetti

For a fun and tasty twist on your typical lasagna recipe, check out our baked spaghetti recipe. Appropriately dubbed "cheater's lasagna," this dish basically merges everything you adore about lasagna and everything you love about spaghetti. Best of all, it's a lot easier to make than traditional lasagna, because you don't have to worry about mastering the various layers. Your guests will be absolutely wowed when you serve up this baked pasta dish.

Baked mac and cheese

No matter how old you are, no one can turn down a yummy bowl of mac and cheese. However, before you grab multiple boxes of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese to feed your guests, you should know that not all macaroni and cheese is created equal. Our recipe for baked mac and cheese adds an exciting amount of pizzazz to the mix that you'll be hooked on. With some surprising ingredients like mustard, chili powder, black pepper, and cumin, your guests will applaud you for creating such an innovative baked pasta dish.

Baked ziti

Baked ziti isn't just something you hear a lot about on The Sopranos. It's a simple, yet tasty dish you can totally master in your own kitchen. Our baked ziti recipe will become your go-to comfort food, and it'll be something you'll whip up whenever you're expecting company. The most important aspect of this dish is using a quality marinara sauce. You can either make your own or buy a scrumptious spaghetti sauce from your local grocery store.

Baked rigatoni

This baked rigatoni recipe is another crowd pleaser. While the marinara sauce is the key part of baked ziti, the cheese is the most important feature in our recipe for baked rigatoni. This dish calls for mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese. To ensure that your meal ends up tasting as amazing as possible, buy high-quality cheese. Also, don't hesitate to make a lot of this stuff because it's one of those foods that manages to taste even better when you enjoy leftovers.