7 baked pasta recipes that are cheesy, saucy and satisfying

7 baked pasta recipes that are cheesy, saucy and satisfying

Pasta and casseroles are two comfort food staples. But with their powers combined, you can take those warm, cozy vibes to the next level. Yes, we’re talking baked pastas today.

Often packed with sauce, vegetables and cheese, these generous dishes are ideal for feeding a crowd or hanging on to leftovers to have in the fridge or freezer for future dinners. They’re easy to customize with your choice of add-ins and can be especially helpful for cobbling together a meal out of ingredients languishing in the pantry or refrigerator that need to be used ASAP.

These recipes from our archives are sure to elicit smiles — and multiple trips back to the baking dish.

Baked Pasta With Roasted Cauliflower and White Beans, above. We got big pizza vibes from this recipe, which had just enough cheddar and parmesan cheese to make it satisfying but not over the top. Cauliflower and beans add extra nutrition.

Three Cheese Pasta and Vegetable Bake. Ellie Krieger offers a lighter, better-for-you take on popular baked ziti. This one features whole-grain pasta, broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes.

Patti LaBelle’s Macaroni and Cheese. Mac and cheese may be the most iconic baked pasta of them all, and this one from singer — and cookbook author! — Patti LaBelle will give you that satisfying cheese pull, thanks to the inclusion of parmesan, Monterey Jack, cheddar, muenster and Velveeta. Other options: Classic Macaroni and Cheese, Soul Food Macaroni and Cheese, and Greens Mac and Cheese.

8 must-have mac and cheese recipes, from classic to adventurous

(Scott Suchman for The Washington Post; food styling by Marie Ostrosky for The Washington Post)

Smoked Paprika Pasta Bake. One of the brilliant aspects of this recipe is that you don’t need to boil the pasta separately. It’s baked, lasagna-style, with enough liquid to soften in the oven. Bold flavors abound thanks to smoked paprika, sherry vinegar, olives, fennel and manchego cheese.

Browse our Recipe Finder for more than 9,900 Post-tested recipes.

Chili Pasta Casserole. Here’s a family- and budget-friendly dish that mashes up chili and mac and cheese. It’s one of the many recipes collected by Brian Baumgartner, the actor who portrayed chili expert Kevin Malone on NBC’s “The Office,” for his “Seriously Good Chili Cookbook.”

Make a chili worthy of Kevin from ‘The Office’ with Brian Baumgartner

Baked Pasta With Chicken and Pepper Jack. Beyond its mix of rich and spicy flavors, this recipe has a few other things going for it. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken, and you can assemble it in the morning to have it freshly baked for dinner.

Baked Pasta With Vegetables and Cheese. If you want to make some freezer meals for yourself or a loved one, consider this streamlined option that uses fresh vegetables along with jarred pasta sauce.