Most Recent Update:
There is nothing like pasta for comfort, at least as far as I’m concerned. I am forever making up new combinations, so for myself and for anyone else who is interested in gathering some comforting easy pasta and casserole recipes to have on hand, I’ve made this roundup of 13 easy pasta meals and cheesy casserole recipes for you! Come see what’s cooking!
Look, I even made you a long pin to save. Enjoy!
With the exception of the lasagna and possibly the lamb ragout, most of these pasta meals are not only easy to make, but fast to make. Consider the majority perfect for easy weeknight meals and maybe save the other two for a weekend feast!
13 Easy Pasta Meals and Cheesy Casserole Recipes
1.
Pasta with Kale, Blood Orange and Breadcrumbs: This easy pasta meal was inspired by a dish I saw on Food52 a few years ago. Very easy to put together and endlessly customizable, this version is a delicious place to start!
2.
Easy Creamy Marinara Sauce (or Vodka Sauce) with Penne: Starting with jarred sauce makes dinner appear that much more quickly. Make this easy creamy marinara (or vodka sauce) and have dinner on the table in about 25 minutes.
3.
Comforting Noodles: This is my go-to meal when I’m sick or tired or just not feeling like turning dinner into a big production. Dinner in 15 minutes when comfort is mandatory and a salad is optional.
4.
Casserole Supreme: This is my slight update on a childhood and church supper classic. The original featured tomato soup, sour cream and cream cheese. A vat of comfort, no matter how you slice it. Or scoop it.
5.
Orange Lamb Ragout (with Gnocchi): This easy pasta meal was the centerpiece of a dinner party a couple of years ago. Lamb and orange are friends, and tomatoes love to be invited to the party. The result is a very bright yet savory sauce that loves to be paired with hearty pasta like rigotoni or gnocchi.
6. 
5-Cheese Hot Italian Sausage Lasagna: What’s better than lasagna with cheese? Lasagna with FIVE cheeses. Because hot Italian sausage has so much flavor, you can also streamline the ingredient list. Nice!
7.
Bucatini Pie with Marinara Sauce: This comforting easy pasta casserole is what you get when you take comforting noodles and then bake them in a pan. An added bonus is that you can slice it like cake. Your kids will seriously love this one!
8.
Mom-Style Macaroni Salad: Make this comforting pasta salad classic into a full meal by adding tuna or chicken. Feel free to add in other chopped veggies, but the way I present it here is the way I grew up eating it, and I love it just like it is. I bet you will too!
9.
Tortellini Caprese Salad: This easy pasta salad is based on store-bought tortellini and hummus making it a snap to put together either for a vegetarian main course or as a side dish.
10.
Stove-Top Macaroni & Cheese with Fontina and Goat Cheese: I have rarely met a mac and cheese I didn’t love and this vat of comfort is no exception. I used fontina and goat cheese since it’s what I had on hand, but any good melting cheese will work in this dish.
11.
Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni Hamburger Helper: I never got to have Hamburger Helper as a kid, but I offer this homemade version of boxed comfort food for those who’d rather make their own anyway. This made a quick and delicious pasta dinner for us, and I bet your family will love it as well.
12.
The Best Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Ever: I call it the best because, as far as I’m concerned, it is. The best. So good a neighbor’s daughter asked me to make some for her 15th birthday dinner! Totally birthday worthy!
13.
Double the Legacy Baked Macaroni and Cheese: This mac and cheese features two kinds of Cabot cheddar. It’s rich and complex and oh-so-good. And it’s hard to say know to the crunchy cheesy panko topping!
And there you have it: 13 Easy Pasta Meals and Cheesy Casserole Recipes for your family to enjoy on a weeknight or any night.
Thank you for spending some time with me today. Take care, and have a lovely day.
Join the Conversation