36 Pasta Casserole Recipes for Your 13×9 Pan

Baked Ziti

Baked ziti is a cozy pasta dish that features layers of meat sauce, tender noodles and creamy ricotta cheese. This freezer-friendly recipe is perfect for feeding a crowd.

White Lasagna

My mom made this lasagna for special occasions, such as birthdays. When she passed, I inherited her cookbooks—tucked inside one of them, I found this recipe folded into a letter she wrote to me while I was stationed overseas. It’s a hearty, rich dish that reminds me of home. —Janet Wing, Minot, North Dakota

Manicotti

Ricotta-and-Parmesan-stuffed manicotti, baked in rich marinara sauce, makes a hearty and impressive vegetarian main dish. Smart shortcuts, like using store-bought marinara sauce and stuffing the manicotti before cooking them, keep the prep time short.

Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken

Prep once and feed the family twice with this comforting, hearty macaroni and cheese with chicken. Pro tip: Double the recipe and freeze half for another time.

Pastitsio

With seasoned ground beef, pasta and a rich cheese sauce, pastitsio is a tasty casserole everyone will love.

Decadent Spinach-Stuffed Shells

This comforting dish can easily be assembled and frozen to bake at a later date. If you have any leftover cheese mixture, it can be served as a dip, either cold or spooned into ramekins and baked until browned. If you don’t like roasted red peppers, feel free to use chopped sun-dried tomatoes in the filling and any other pasta sauce instead. —Crystal Schlueter, Northglenn, Colorado

Baked Spaghetti with Cream of Mushroom Soup

Being cheesy is a good thing when you're talking about baked spaghetti with cream of mushroom soup. It's cozy, cheesy and promises lots of leftovers.

Seafood Lasagna

A deliciously decadent twist on the classic red-sauce staple, our seafood lasagna recipe combines shellfish and crabmeat in a delicate white sauce. Bake it in the oven for a weeknight meal, or serve as an elegant dish for company.

Best Lasagna

What makes this classic lasagna recipe so spectacular? Homemade meat sauce and plenty of cheese. Best of all, it's easy to make lasagna ahead of time so dinner can be ready in a flash.

Lasagna Casserole

All the traditional flavor of lasagna, with none of the fuss. We've simplified the layers in this lasagna casserole so the dish comes together more quickly.

Ravioli Casserole

Love lasagna but want something simpler to make? Try our ravioli casserole—all the cheese and sauce, and it's ready in no time.

Baked Mac and Cheese

With its rich cheese sauce and crunchy crumb topping, this has to be the best baked mac and cheese recipe out there. Serve it as a comforting weeknight dinner or a holiday side dish.

Stuffed Shells with Meat

This easy stuffed shells with meat and ricotta recipe is warm and comforting after a long day. Prep the meat-stuffed shells the day before, then just pop the dish in the oven after work.

Contest-Winning Greek Pasta Bake

When I take this dish to potlucks, there's never so much as a morsel left! It’s a simple, healthy, hearty supper made with ingredients that are easy to find. Add a salad and a crusty loaf of bread for a quick meal solution. —Anne Taglienti, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Pasta Bake with Feta

Sometimes, things go viral for a good reason, and this pasta bake with feta is a dish deserving of its internet fame. Creamy, savory, tangy and maybe the easiest pasta dish you've ever made, this one will be making regular appearances at your dinner table.

Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with our broccoli mac and cheese, a delicious blend where gooey, melted cheddar meets tender broccoli, finished off with an irresistibly crunchy cracker topping.

Three-Cheese Meatball Mostaccioli

When my husband travels for work, I make a special dinner for my kids to keep their minds off missing Daddy. This tasty mostaccioli is magic. —Jennifer Gilbert, Brighton, Michigan

Penne Beef Bake

I had ground beef and veggies on hand so I came up with this pizza-flavored casserole. I never expected my family to love it so much. It's a good way to sneak in some extra veggies for the kids. —Jennifer Wise, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Ham and Noodle Casserole

I created this recipe when I had leftover ham to use up. You’ll find it’s the perfect little casserole for any night of the week! —Laura Burgess, Mount Vernon, South Dakota

Southwest Tuna Noodle Bake

None of my co-workers had ever tried tuna noodle casserole, and since we live near the Mexican border, they challenged me to make a Southwest version. After trying the tasty results, everyone wanted the recipe! —Sandra Crane, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Chicken bacon ranch casserole, made with comforting ingredients like creamy pasta, savory bacon and ranch seasoning, is a slam dunk for your next dinner.

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

This easy chicken tetrazzini is made with leftover cooked chicken and canned soup. It's the perfect recipe for busy weeknights because it's so easy to assemble. Once you pop the dish in the oven, you'll have time to take care of other things on your to-do list. —Martha Sue Stroud, Clarksville, Texas

Five-Cheese Rigatoni

Who can resist cheesy pasta hot from the oven? This ooey-gooey rigatoni mac and cheese boasts a homemade white sauce. —Shirley Foltz, Dexter, Kansas

Vegetable Lasagna

I cooked up this fresh lasagna for vegetarian customers at a local grocery store, where I work part-time. It’s absolutely packed with veggies. —Sam Hunsaker, Lawrence, Kansas

Lasagna Roll-Ups

My Italian lasagna roll-ups are not complicated; they require only basic ingredients to assemble. Prepared spaghetti sauce helps me save time and get dinner on the table sooner. —Mary Lee Thomas, Logansport, Indiana

Sassy Southwest Stuffed Shells

When I was a child, my mom made this dish quite often. When I came across her recipe on an index card, I quickly copied it. Over the years, I have made very few changes to retain that taste-of-home memory. —Kellie Braddell, West Point, California

Pesto Lasagna

Pesto lasagna forgoes the meat and red sauce for pesto, homemade bechamel and spinach. The recipe is new and exciting but just as cozy as traditional lasagna.

Bechamel Lasagna

This classic red and white bechamel lasagna will have you coming back for seconds every time!

Lemony Mushroom Lasagna Roll-Ups

I love lasagna and usually make it the traditional way, but I couldn't get the idea of a lemon ricotta filling out of my head. These bright roll-ups because they are easy to assemble and serve. —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas

Vegan Lasagna

To make this vegan lasagna recipe, we layer tofu ricotta, spinach, mushrooms and vegan Italian sausage with pasta and red sauce. Yum!

Shrimp Mac and Cheese

Indulge in this cheesy shrimp Mac and cheese recipe. It's a perfect blend of tender, al dente noodles and succulent shrimp smothered in a rich, gooey cheese sauce.

Italian Pasta Bake

Whether feeding a small army or just your very hungry family, this pasta bake recipe never fails to satisfy.

Chicken Lasagna

Our chicken lasagna features a rich, creamy cheese sauce and plenty of spinach. It’s a fun twist on a classic recipe, and a cozy way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken.

Taco Spaghetti

This simple, kid-friendly taco spaghetti casserole is a perfect mashup of two favorites, and the cheesy goodness is ready in less than an hour!

Five-Cheese Ziti al Forno

Five-cheese ziti al forno is an Olive Garden copycat classic that's loaded with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano and provolone cheeses and baked to golden perfection with a crunchy topping. It's the perfect comfort food for cheese enthusiasts.

Gruyere Mac and Cheese

Creamy with a crispy baked crust, Gruyere mac and cheese offers a rich, nutty flavor you can't quite get from cheddar cheese alone.

Pasta Casserole FAQ

What is the best type of pan for lasagna?

The best lasagna pan is sturdy enough to handle a hearty casserole loaded with meat, cheese and noodles. Look for a 13×9-inch pan with sides that are high enough to prevent ingredients from spilling over. Large handles make the pan easier to remove from the oven. Look for a dish made of ceramic, porcelain or glazed stoneware. Glass and metal pans work, too.

Should you line the pan with parchment paper when making a pasta casserole?

Parchment paper is a great way to keep food from sticking to the pan. However, it isn’t the best choice for lasagna or other types of pasta casseroles. Parchment will become wet and wilted while your pasta cooks. This can make it stick to the finished product. Rather than using parchment paper, butter your pan before adding ingredients. And spoon some extra sauce on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.

How long does leftover pasta casserole last in the fridge?

Leftover pasta casserole contains moisture, and this moisture can eventually cause mold growth. Leftover lasagna or pasta casserole lasts about three to five days in the fridge. The leftover casserole can also be frozen if needed.