Healthy Recipes Main Dishes Healthy Pasta Main Dish Recipes 26 Pasta Bake Recipes That Make Great Leftovers By Alex Loh Alex Loh Alex Loh is EatingWell's associate food editor. As part of the food team, she creates healthy, delicious recipes for the EatingWell audience. Alex also writes informative food and cooking articles that range from how to store ground beef to the best picks from Trader Joe's. Alex conducts product and taste tests to find the best options, from salad spinners to salsas. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 11, 2023 Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD Jessica Ball, M.S., RD, is nutrition editor for EatingWell. She is a registered dietitian with a master's in food, nutrition and sustainability. In addition to EatingWell, her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Real Simple, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens and MyRecipes. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Trending Videos Close this video player These pasta bake recipes are the perfect weeknight dinner option. Whether it's an Italian-inspired recipe or a spin on classics like mac and cheese and tuna noodle casserole, the oven helps create a gooey and tasty dinner that you'll want to eat over and over. Recipes like Ham & Chard Stuffed Shells and One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta are filling, flavorful and make great leftovers to enjoy throughout the week. 01 of 26 Chicken, Peppers & Pasta Casserole View Recipe You can assemble this healthy chicken casserole before you leave for a party and pop it in the oven at the host's house. Or bake it at home and bring it along--it's delicious at room temperature too. 02 of 26 Ham & Chard Stuffed Shells View Recipe In this healthy stuffed shells recipe, tons of dark leafy chard replaces some of the cheese. Kale and/or collards are good substitutes for the chard as well. Serve with a salad with Italian vinaigrette. 03 of 26 One-Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta View Recipe This chicken Parmesan pasta uses the one-pot pasta method to cook your noodles, chicken and sauce all in one skillet for a fast and easy dinner with minimal cleanup. Finish the dish under the broiler to achieve a delicious melted cheese crust. 04 of 26 Sausage & Peppers Baked Ziti View Recipe This healthy baked ziti recipe doesn't require any chopping and is made on the stovetop, so it is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Using whole-wheat pasta adds fiber; opt for penne if whole-wheat ziti is hard to find. 05 of 26 Gruyere, Asparagus & Pea Baked Pasta View Recipe This healthy casserole recipe contains tons of veggies alongside whole-wheat pasta for a satisfying dinner kids and adults will enjoy. 06 of 26 Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole View Recipe Homemade mushroom sauce kicks the can of soup out of the picture in this veggie-centric, healthy riff on a classic tuna-noodle casserole recipe. Serve with steamed green beans. 07 of 26 Mable's Mac 'n' Cheese View Recipe Johnny Autry Mable Clarke, the creator of this baked mac and cheese recipe, is a cook and activist from South Carolina who serves this dish at a monthly fish fry she started to save her church. "One thing I dislike is dry macaroni," says Clarke, so she makes plenty of custard for her version of this classic. "When people taste it, they say, 'Oooh, this macaroni!'" 08 of 26 Eggplant & Chickpea Baked Pasta View Recipe Photography / Fred Hardy, Styling / Ruth Blackburn / Audrey Davis Turn leftover Eggplant & Chickpea Stew into a comforting vegetarian baked-pasta dish. We love the taste of mint with the other Mediterranean flavors, but you can use parsley or basil if you prefer. 09 of 26 Sloppy Joe Casserole View Recipe Like sloppy Joes? Then you'll love this sloppy Joe casserole recipe. This kid-friendly dinner has the classic sloppy Joe flavors kids love, while parents will like all the veggies that are packed in to make it a healthy meal. 10 of 26 Chipotle Ranch Chicken Casserole View Recipe Simplify weeknight dinnertime by transforming leftover slow-cooked chicken (see associated recipe, below) into an easy, cheesy casserole. 11 of 26 Baked Cavatelli Casserole View Recipe This easy to make, comforting dish will keep you warm on a cold day. 12 of 26 Beef & Black Bean Pasta Bake View Recipe This hearty casserole features ground beef, beans, and pasta baked in a flavorful Mexican-inspired sauce and topped with cheese and sour cream. Kids will love it! 13 of 26 Turkey & Ricotta Stuffed Shells View Recipe This crowd-pleasing, make-ahead pasta dish uses lean ground turkey instead of ground beef and sneaks in zucchini, which helps you eat more vegetables and helps keep the filling moist. Assemble the shells and then freeze to bake off on a busy day for easy, healthy meal prep at its best. 14 of 26 Baked Penne Florentine View Recipe This comforting and flavorful vegetarian dish is packed with protein. 15 of 26 Spinach-Tomato Macaroni & Cheese View Recipe An old-school classic gets a boost of nutrition and flavor from garlicky spinach and tomatoes in this healthy mac and cheese recipe. 16 of 26 Chicken-Noodle Casserole View Recipe Flavorful Chicken-Noodle Casserole comes to life with this diabetes-friendly recipe. Select light sour cream to lower fat and calorie content. 17 of 26 Spinach & Mushroom Tortellini Bake View Recipe This cheesy tortellini bake is a dish the whole family will love--it's filled with sweet-tasting marinara, mushrooms and spinach and topped with melted cheese. Complete the meal, plus get in another vegetable serving, by adding a side of broccoli or a small green salad. 18 of 26 Easy Lasagna View Recipe This classic beef lasagna recipe is easy to make and will be ready to eat in just over an hour. 19 of 26 Penne with Sausage & Eggplant Bolognese View Recipe Here, we infuse eggplant Bolognese with savoriness by cooking the eggplant in the sausage drippings. Serve this family-friendly baked pasta with a salad and pour the adults a glass of Chianti. 20 of 26 Baked Mac & Cheese View Recipe Mac & cheese can be a true comfort on a gloomy day, and our healthy update takes advantage of extra-sharp Cheddar balanced with creamy low-fat cottage cheese and tucks a layer of spinach into the middle, which may help picky eaters down their vegetables. Whole-wheat pasta adds robust flavor and extra fiber. 21 of 26 Baked Tomato & Feta Pasta View Recipe Jason Donnelly Tomatoes and briny feta cheese form the base of the sauce that coats the pasta in this easy one-pan meal. Enjoy on its own as a vegetarian dinner or top with grilled chicken for some extra protein. 22 of 26 Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole View Recipe Use reduced fat soup and fat-free milk to make this favorite casserole lower in fat and calories. Adding a variety of vegetables makes it more nutritious than the traditional recipe. 23 of 26 Baked Spinach & Feta Pasta View Recipe Jason Donnelly Feta softens in the oven before it's combined with spinach and pasta, with the pasta cooking right in the baking dish. Enjoy this one-pan pasta with feta dish on its own as a vegetarian main or serve with sautéed chicken breast for a boost of protein. 24 of 26 Lobster Mac & Cheese View Recipe Photography / Caitlin Bensel, Styling / Ruth Blackburn In this healthy twist on lobster mac and cheese, we add a secret ingredient to the cheese sauce: cauliflower. The cauliflower blends into the cheese sauce so you won't even realize you're eating a vegetable. Serve this impressive main dish for a dinner party or holiday meal. 25 of 26 Creamy Hamburger Noodle Casserole View Recipe The EatingWell Test Kitchen takes lean ground beef and combines it with whole-grain bulgur, egg noodles and a creamy tomato sauce in a baked casserole topped with Cheddar. With less fat and calories than the original skillet meal, this dish is sure to become a new family favorite. 26 of 26 Baked Tortellini View Recipe Nutty-flavored fontina cheese gives this homey baked tortellini casserole a real taste twist and the cheesy breadcrumb topping makes it all but irresistible. You can easily double this recipe and make one for today and an extra to pop in the freezer for a heat-and-eat meal someday in the future. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit