Baked Pasta Casserole

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This baked pasta casserole is a delicious, flavorful, frugal dinner recipe. Just $.74 per serving!

When we were first married 12 years ago, my husband and I made this baked pasta casserole all the time. I think we made it one too many times and got tired of it, and we stopped making it for years.

I thought of this dish recently and realized my children would probably like it. I was right – they couldn’t get enough of it. It’s so simple to make, and it’s a great way to highlight fresh ricotta. If you haven’t tried making homemade ricotta yet, you should. It’s as easy as heating up milk and adding lemon juice.

This casserole tastes delicious with gluten-free pasta as well as whole wheat pasta. You can add extra veggies or meat, but it’s also delicious just like this. I love how simple it is to make this baked pasta casserole on a busy night.

Baked Pasta Casserole

This baked pasta casserole is a delicious, flavorful, frugal dinner recipe. It comes together with just five ingredients - pasta, egg, ricotta, marinara sauce, and cheese. ($.74 per serving)

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5 mins

Cook Time:40 mins

Total Time:45 mins

Ingredients

• 12 ounces short whole grain pasta
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 cups marinara sauce or sauce of choice
• 1/2 cup grated cheese (e.g. mozzarella, parmesan)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta and the egg.
• Boil the pasta according to the directions and drain. Add the cooked pasta to the ricotta and stir to coat evenly.
• In a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce along the bottom of the dish.
• Add the pasta mixture to the dish.
• Pour the remaining tomato sauce on top of the pasta, and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the grated cheese is melted and a few pieces of pasta are beginning to get brown.
• Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 793mg | Potassium: 576mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 916IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 4mg

Servings: 6

Calories: 379kcal

Author: Annemarie Rossi

Baked Pasta Casserole Price Breakdown

The total cost of this dish is $4.45, or $.74 per serving.  This Baked Pasta Casserole is an easy meal to pull together, even if you’re making ricotta cheese as part of the process. Your family will love it!

What affordable meals do you put together for dinner when you’re short on time? Please share in the comments.