Four Cheese Baked Pasta (Printable version)

Comforting baked pasta with four cheeses and a creamy marinara sauce for cozy meals.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound penne or rigatoni

→ Cheeses

02 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
03 - 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - ¾ cup grated Romano cheese

→ Sauce

06 - 3 cups marinara sauce
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
10 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
11 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
12 - ½ teaspoon salt
13 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, optional

# Steps to follow:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water and cook pasta until just shy of al dente, approximately 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in marinara sauce, dried basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta with ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup Romano, and 2 cups of the prepared sauce until uniformly coated.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture into the greased baking dish. Evenly pour the remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses.
06 - Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
07 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the surface is golden and bubbling.
08 - Let rest for 5 minutes. If desired, garnish with fresh chopped basil before serving.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Four cheeses create a depth of flavor that tastes like you've been simmering this for days, but it comes together in under an hour.
  • It's one of those dishes that looks fancy enough for guests but honest enough for a quiet Tuesday night.
  • The crispy-edged, creamy-centered texture is exactly what comfort food should be.
02 -
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way through or it'll turn into mush by the time the cheese finishes baking, and that sad texture ruins everything.
  • If your baking dish doesn't have much depth, cover it with foil the whole time or lower your oven to 350°F so the edges don't burn before the center is done.
  • Cold ricotta straight from the fridge clumps up and doesn't mix smoothly, so either let it sit out for 10 minutes or give it a quick stir with a fork before you add it to the pasta.
03 -
  • If your marinara sauce tastes a little sharp or acidic, stir in a pinch of sugar and let it simmer for another minute, it makes all the difference.
  • Grate your own cheeses from blocks when you can, because the anti-caking powder in pre-shredded cheese sometimes gets in the way of that perfect melt.
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