Four Cheese Baked Pasta (Printable)

Comforting baked pasta with a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses in a creamy sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound penne or rigatoni

→ Cheeses

02 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
03 - 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
05 - ¾ 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 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
11 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - ½ teaspoon salt
13 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. 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, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes then remove from heat.
04 - In a large bowl, blend cooked pasta with ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan, ½ cup Romano cheeses, and 2 cups of the sauce until evenly mixed.
05 - Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish. Spread remaining sauce evenly on top. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella, Parmesan, and Romano cheeses over the surface.
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 - Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Four cheeses means every forkful tastes like someone actually cares, even though you barely had to try.
  • It comes together in under an hour and makes your whole house smell like an Italian grandmother lives there.
  • The golden top and creamy center hit that comfort-food sweet spot perfectly.
02 -
  • Don't cook the pasta all the way through, or you'll end up with a mushy casserole no matter how much cheese you pile on top.
  • Low-moisture mozzarella is your friend here—regular fresh mozzarella releases too much liquid and makes everything sad and soupy.
  • The foil really does matter in the first half of baking, so don't skip it thinking you know better.
03 -
  • Always tear fresh basil by hand instead of cutting it, so it doesn't bruise and turn black at the edges.
  • If your marinara sauce is too thin, let it simmer longer before you add it to the pasta—it'll concentrate and cling better.
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