Baked Penne with Ricotta

Baked Penne with Ricotta is a simple and delicious 5-ingredient meal that you'll want to make again and again! Use your favorite store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 372kcal

Author Angela Allison

Equipment

9 x 13 inch casserole dish

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
28 ounces marinara sauce, divided (store-bought or homemade)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (4 ounces)
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese (1.5 ounces)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position baking rack in the middle of the oven.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook penne according to package instructions, until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, half of the marinara, half of the mozzarella, and the parmesan cheese. Add in the cooked penne and stir until well combined.
Spread about half a cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or casserole dish. Spoon the penne mixture on top of the sauce. Drizzle on the remaining sauce and smooth so the top of the penne is covered. Sprinkle on remaining mozzarella.
Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for about 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the pasta is heated through. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Top with chopped parsley or basil if desired.

Notes

If you don't have penne, any tube-shaped pasta works.
Only cook the pasta until al dente, about a minute short of the cooking time recommended on the box.
Part-skim ricotta cheese will give you same cheesy flavor and texture but whole milk ricotta works too. No need to drain the ricotta ahead of time.
Use your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara sauce. Make your own with my simple marinara sauce recipe.
Store leftover baked penne with ricotta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Nutrition