This three cheese penne pasta bake is perfect for family meals! Get dinner on the table quickly and serve with a side salad and garlic bread.
With autumn comes the return of school and heavier dinners and dishes. I love piling on the cheese and pasta once the weather gets cooler and fall comes. This three cheese penne pasta bake, using the tasty Mezzetta® Napa Valley Homemade™ flavored pasta sauces, is perfect for cooler nights when you are short on time.
When I was a little kid, my mom somehow managed to put hot dinner on the table every night. This was pretty awesome considering the fact that she was a single mom and worked both a full-time and a part-time job. Looking back now and knowing how long it can take some times to get meals ready, I realized what an amazing feat that was.
Three Cheese Penne Pasta Bake
She made dishes similar to this easy pasta bake. The pasta could be cooked and the dish assembled the night before – then all my mom would have to do is put the casserole dish in the oven while she helped us with our homework or did stuff around the house.
When I made this recipe, I tried to make it similar to dishes my mom would make for us. Using the Mezzetta Napa Valley homemade pasta sauces really gives this dish a lot of flavor and saves you time. I know how busy everyone’s schedules are!
I used the traditional Marinara Mezzetta pasta sauce for this recipe, but you could use any of the 6 flavors for maximum flavor: Tomato & Sweet Basil, Spicy Marinara, Roasted Garlic & Caramelized Onions, Parmesan, Asiago & Romano, Wild Mushroom, and Marinara.
We love the Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade sauces because they are made from hand-selected plum tomatoes and are a family owned and operated company. Plus, you can’t go wrong with recipes made in the Italian tradition in a Napa Valley kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne cooked al dente
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 25 ounces pasta sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and 2 cups of the pasta sauce. Mix well, then pour this mixture into a 8×11 inch casserole dish.
- Drizzle the remaining pasta sauce on top of this mixture, then spread the last cup of mozzarella cheese over the top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
Elena
Monday 3rd of October 2022
Can you use regu pasta sauce?
al
Tuesday 22nd of September 2015
Tomato and Sweet Basil
Ally N
Monday 21st of September 2015
My mouth is watering looking at that pasta dish! Delicioso!!! I think I might want to make stuffed shells or rigatoni tomorrow night!
Rust
Monday 21st of September 2015
I would make a penne pasta and italian sausage casserole.
Jennifer Marie
Monday 21st of September 2015
I would make rigatoni with meat sauce.