Four Cheese Baked Pasta (Print Version)

Creamy baked pasta with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses in a golden casserole.

# What to Use:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound penne or rigatoni

→ Cheeses

02 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
03 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - 3/4 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 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until just under al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in marinara sauce, dried basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta with ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup Romano, and 2 cups of the prepared sauce until evenly coated.
05 - Transfer the pasta mixture to the greased baking dish. Pour remaining sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses.
06 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
07 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Four cheeses create a creamy, complex flavor that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when it actually took less than an hour.
  • The pasta absorbs the sauce while baking, so every bite is saucy and satisfying, not dry.
  • It's vegetarian, feeds a crowd, and reheats beautifully—perfect for busy weeknights or Sunday dinner.
02 -
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way through or it turns to mush in the oven—al dente is your target, even if it seems too firm when you drain it.
  • Mix the cheeses into the warm pasta instead of layering them, so they distribute evenly instead of clumping at the bottom of the dish.
  • The dish is done when you see bubbles around the edges and the top is genuinely golden, not pale—this means the cheeses have melted into each other.
03 -
  • Cook your pasta two minutes under, not at package time, because those extra minutes in the oven matter more than you think.
  • Use low-moisture mozzarella if you can find it—regular mozzarella sometimes releases water during baking and makes the dish watery.
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