One Pan Tomato Ricotta Pasta Bake (2024)

By Rebecca Hubbell on February 18, 2018 | Updated February 6, 2023 | 39 Comments

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This Ricotta Pasta Bake is an easy vegetarian recipe made in just one pan. Only a 5-minute prep time and an hour of baking stand between you and this delicious dinner that’s loaded with tomatoes, garlic, cream, Parmesan, ricotta cheese, and pasta!

Table of Contents

One Pan Ricotta Pasta Bake

Even though I love making food, I’m all about easy recipes, and this Ricotta Pasta Bake is just that! If dinnertime is a struggle in your house, especially on weeknights, this simple meal definitely needs to be in your rotation.

This delicious pasta bake is made with less than 10 ingredients, only takes about 5 minutes to prep, and bakes up in less than an hour.

Garlic, salt, and crushed tomato make up a simple, flavorful sauce, plus a couple cups of half-and-half make this dish extra creamy. Just toss these ingredients into a pan with dry pasta and top it with ricotta, Parmesan, and fresh basil… that just about covers it!

Ricotta Pasta Bake takes just under an hour to cook, but that’s allhands-off time when you’re free to get other things done. After popping the pan in the oven, I usually go on to do some cleaning/writing/watching TV… you know, the important stuff!

Cooking while checking off your to-do list is multitasking at its finest if I do say so myself!

If you love ricotta as much as I do, you’ll be drooling over this recipe. The dollops of soft cheese become extra creamy when baked, and paired with fresh, fragrant basil, it’ll make your mouth water!

This dish is destined to be a crowd-pleaser for everyone in the family. What’s more, this recipe is vegetarian, so non-meat-eaters can also enjoy this tasty meal.

Even though I usually make dinner for just Matt and myself, I always make a full batch of this stuff since it’s also great for leftovers and means we usually get two to three meals out of it. It basically has all the components of a vegetarian lasagna, and luckily, it reheats just as well.

I should also point out that, although it’s a quick meal, Tomato Ricotta Pasta Bake is tasty enough to serve to guests, too! What’s more, the easy prep means there’s more time for socializing and less time needed in the kitchen.

Serve it up with my Garlic Parmesan Breadsticksor Blue Cheese Garlic Bread!

Whether you’re part of a busy family or one with picky eaters, this Baked Penne recipe is sure to become a favorite. Pasta, garlic, cheese, sauce, and fresh basil… really, what’s not to love?

One Pan Tomato Ricotta Pasta Bake

Author Rebecca Hubbell

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

This pasta recipe is an easy vegetarian dinner made in just one pan. Only a 5-minute prep time and an hour of baking stand between you and this delicious dinner that’s loaded with tomatoes, garlic, cream, Parmesan, ricotta cheese, and pasta!

Ingredients

▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
▢ 16 ounces penne pasta uncooked
▢ 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
▢ 2 cups half-and-half
▢ 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated and divided
▢ 1 cup ricotta cheese
▢ basil for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine garlic, salt, pasta, tomatoes, half-and-half, 1/2 cup Parmesan, in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and stir to combine.
Cover with a double layer of foil, crimping tightly around edges to seal. Place dish on the center rack and bake until pasta is tender and liquid is absorbed, 45 to 50 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully remove foil. Spoon ricotta over pasta in large dollops and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. Place baking dish on the uppermost rack and broil on low until ricotta begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Nutrition

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