One-Pot Cheesy Pasta Bake (Printable Copy)

Comfortable pasta melded with melted cheeses and tomato sauce, all cooked together for easy serving.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as penne, fusilli, or rigatoni

→ Sauce

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
08 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
09 - 1 teaspoon salt
10 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Cheeses

12 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

→ Garnish

15 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil

# How to Make:

01 - Set oven to 400°F and allow to preheat.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
04 - Stir in uncooked pasta and vegetable broth, ensuring pasta is fully submerged beneath the liquid.
05 - Bring mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta reaches al dente texture.
06 - Remove pot from heat and stir in half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses until evenly distributed.
07 - Sprinkle remaining mozzarella, cheddar, and all of the Parmesan cheese evenly across the surface.
08 - Transfer pot to preheated oven and bake uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes until cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
09 - Allow dish to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one pot, which means less time scrubbing pans and more time actually enjoying dinner.
  • The cheese gets creamy and golden while the pasta absorbs all those tomato-herb flavors, so every bite tastes finished and intentional.
  • It's forgiving enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to serve when people drop by unexpectedly.
02 -
  • The pasta needs to finish cooking in the oven, so don't cook it fully on the stovetop or you'll end up with mush—aim for that just-barely-there bite.
  • Don't skip the resting period; those 5 minutes let everything set properly and keep the whole dish from falling apart on the plate.
03 -
  • Use an oven-safe Dutch oven or pot with a lid, because you'll use it for both stovetop and oven, and it distributes heat evenly so nothing burns on the bottom.
  • If your cheese isn't getting golden in the oven, bump the temperature up to 425°F for the final 3 to 4 minutes, but watch it carefully because the difference between golden and burnt is sometimes just one minute.
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