Cheesy Baked Pasta Recipe with Gluten Free Penne
There is something deeply satisfying about pulling a bubbling baking dish of pasta from the oven. The edges get a little crispy, the sauce settles into every nook and cranny, and the top turns into one glorious blanket of melted cheese. This baked pasta recipe with gluten-free penne is exactly that kind of dinner: cozy, generous, a little decadent, and absolutely made for sharing.
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This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten’s famous penne with five cheeses, a dish I have loved for years because it understands one very important truth: sometimes pasta just needs a lot of really good cheese. It’s the perfect dish to bring a friend in need. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough to serve to guests.
For my version, I gave that classic cheese recipe a California spin using Real California Milk dairy products, canned California tomatoes, plenty of fresh basil, and my favorite gluten-free penne pasta. The result is creamy, tomatoey, cheesy, and somewhere between pasta al forno and the easiest baked pasta dish you could make on a weeknight.
And yes, there are five cheeses. I counted.
A California-Inspired Baked Pasta Recipe
I love oven-baked pastas because they feel like more effort than they actually are. You boil pasta, stir together a sauce, pile everything into a casserole dish, and let the oven take care of the best part: turning everything bubbly and golden.
For this version, I used San Joaquin Gold, a dry, crumbly cheese like Parmesan, fresh mozzarella cheese, Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, and blue cheese, all made with Real California Milk. Real California heavy cream and butter bring everything together into a silky pasta sauce, while canned California tomatoes keep the dish from becoming too rich.
Fresh basil gives it that classic Italian flavor and a bright little pop of green just before serving.
It is pure comfort food, California style.
Unlike a classic lasagna or a sausage pasta bake, there is no meat sauce to simmer and no layers to carefully assemble. There is also no ground beef or Italian sausage, although either could certainly be added if that is what your whole family loves.
This is an easy recipe built around simple ingredients and really good dairy.
Choosing Gluten-Free Penne Pasta
Gluten-free pasta has come a very long way, and most grocery stores now carry several good options. Gluten-free penne pasta is especially nice for baked pasta recipes because its versatile shape holds onto creamy sauce and melted cheese beautifully.
Many varieties are made with rice flour, corn flour, or a blend of gluten-free grains. Use your favorite pasta and cook it according to the package directions, but stop while it is still very al dente.
This matters.
The pasta cooks again in the oven, so if you fully cook it on the stovetop, it may become too soft once baked. I usually pull mine a couple of minutes before I normally would.
For anyone cooking for someone with celiac disease, be sure your pasta and all other ingredients are certified gluten-free, and watch for cross-contact in your kitchen.
What Goes Into This Cheesy Pasta Bake
The ingredient list is pleasantly simple.
Start with gluten-free penne pasta and a big can of California tomatoes. I love using canned tomatoes here because they create a fresh tomato sauce feeling without asking me to chop or simmer anything for an hour.
Then comes Real California heavy cream, butter, fresh basil, and all that glorious Real California cheese.
The San Joaquin Gold adds a deep, nutty flavor similar to what you might expect from parmesan cheese. You could also use any dry, sharp Real California cheese. Fresh mozzarella gives the baked pasta those lovely stretchy pockets of gooey cheese. Jack cheese is a wonderfully good melting cheese, ricotta makes the sauce creamy and soft, and blue cheese adds just enough salty personality to keep things interesting.
If blue cheese makes you nervous, do not panic. It does not take over the entire baking dish. It simply gives the sauce a little depth.
And if you absolutely cannot do blue cheese, you could leave it out and increase one of the rest of the cheeses. Recipes are allowed to bend a little. That is real-life cooking.
How to Make Gluten-Free Baked Penne
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the dry pasta until very al dente according to the package directions.
While the pasta cooks, combine the tomatoes, heavy cream, ricotta, grated San Joaquin Gold, shredded Jack cheese, crumbled blue cheese, and torn fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Add melted butter, plenty of fresh basil, salt, and black pepper.
Once the pasta is ready, drain it and immediately fold it into the sauce.
At this point, things will look very saucy. That is exactly what you want. Gluten-free pasta can soak up quite a bit of liquid while baking.
Transfer everything to a buttered baking dish and scatter a little extra mozzarella cheese over the top.
Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Let the pasta rest for a few minutes at room temperature before serving. It will be lava-hot when it first comes out of the oven, and those few minutes also give the sauce a chance to settle.
Make It Your Own
One of my favorite things about pasta dishes is how forgiving they are.
Want a heartier dinner? Brown some ground beef or Italian sausage and stir it into the tomato sauce. Leftover chicken would work too.
Have vegetables that need saving? Sautéed bell pepper, spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini would all be delicious.
You could even scatter crunchy breadcrumbs over the top before baking for a little texture.
That flexibility is also what makes pasta bake recipes such a great way to clean out the refrigerator.
A Great Dinner for Busy Weeknights
Despite all the cheese, this really is an easy family dinner.
You can assemble the entire baked pasta dish earlier in the day, cover it, and refrigerate it until you are ready to bake. If it goes into the oven cold, simply give it a little extra baking time.
That makes this one of my favorite dinner ideas for busy weeknights, weekends with friends, or those evenings when everybody seems to be eating at a slightly different time.
It also makes fantastic leftover pasta.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat individual portions as needed. A splash of cream before reheating helps bring the sauce back to life.
California Cheese Makes This One Special
A lot of people think about California for avocados, tomatoes, wine, citrus, or endless sunshine, but we make some pretty fantastic dairy here too.
Using Real California Milk products in this recipe turned an already comforting dish into something that feels very much like home to me: unfussy, sunny, generous, and just indulgent enough. Remember to look for the seal!
The combination of five California cheeses means every bite is slightly different. One forkful might have creamy ricotta and fresh mozzarella; the next might have a salty bit of blue cheese or nutty San Joaquin Gold.
That is the charm of it.
This is not a tidy little pasta dish. It is bubbling cheese, tomato sauce around the edges of the pan, basil tucked here and there, and someone inevitably sneaking a crispy corner before dinner officially starts.
In other words, it is my favorite way to eat.
If you love comforting pasta dishes, gluten-free pasta, and anything involving gooey cheese, put this baked pasta recipe into your meal plans immediately. It is cozy enough for Sunday dinner, simple enough for a weeknight, and exactly the kind of recipe I hope becomes a family favorite.
Because sometimes the best dinners are the ones that arrive at the table in one big, bubbling casserole dish with absolutely no apology for the amount of cheese involved.
More gluten free Pasta recipes to try
- Creamy Stovetop French Onion Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Spring Orzo Salad with Smashed Olive Dressing
- Easy and Delicious Cold Spaghetti Salad Recipe
This post is sponsored by the California Milk Advisory Board. As always, all opinions, recipes, and excessive enthusiasm for really good cheese are my own. Choose Real California Milk dairy products when you shop – remember to look for the seal!
Easy Baked Pasta Recipe with Gluten Free Penne
Equipment
- large pot
- 3 quart baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound gluten-free penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more for the pasta water
- 1 28 ounce can crushed or diced California tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups Real California Milk heavy cream
- 1 cup whole-milk Real California Milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated hard dry Real California Milk cheese such as San Joaquin Gold divided
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Real California Jack cheese divided
- 8 ounces fresh Real California Milk fresh mozzarella cheese torn into bite-size pieces
- 1/3 cup crumbled Real California Milk blue cheese
- 4 tablespoons Real California Milk butter cut into small cubes, plus more for the baking dish
- 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves torn or thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or round 3-quart casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the gluten-free penne according to the package directions, stopping about 2 minutes before it is fully cooked. The pasta should be quite al dente since it will continue cooking in the oven.
- While the pasta cooks, combine the tomatoes, heavy cream, ricotta, 3/4 cup hard, dry cheese, 1 cup Jack cheese, fresh mozzarella, blue cheese, basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using, in a large mixing bowl.
- Drain the pasta well and add it directly to the cheese and tomato mixture. Gently toss until every piece of pasta is coated. The mixture will look a little loose and saucy at this point — that is exactly what you want.
- Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese and 1/4 cup hard dry cheese evenly over the top. Dot evenly with butter.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden.
- Let the baked pasta rest for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Finish with extra fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
If your gluten-free pasta tends to absorb a lot of liquid, add an extra splash of heavy cream before transferring everything to the baking dish.
For a milder version, reduce the blue cheese to 2 tablespoons or leave it out and add a little more Jack or mozzarella.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.
Nutrition
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