Delicious yet so Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake, the perfect family meal. Why not get the kids in the kitchen with you to cook this?
The ultimate cheese lovers dream! Crispy melted cheese on top of creamy cheesy pasta, so good!
My daughter has to earn her scout's chef badge by planning and cooking a vegetarian meal.
Her all-time favourite meal to eat is Macaroni Cheese, so this is what she chose! However we didn't have Macaroni Pasta, so she worked with what we had, and made an Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake!
See our step by step slide show video with full instructions in the recipe card below
What pasta to use for pasta bake?
We used Spiralini shaped pasta, but to be honest any will do! Penne, Fusilli, Shells, Farfalle, Rigatoni, Cavatappi. You choose!
First cook the pasta for the time given on the packet. Whilst the pasta cooks prepare the cheese sauce. It is best to use a hob to oven pan, like this Lightweight Cast Aluminium dish.
Otherwise use a non-stick pan and tip into an oven dish with the pasta to finish off in the oven.
Melt butter in a pan, add in flour and stir to make a roux, cook for about two minutes.
Then turn heat up whilst adding the milk bit by bit, continuously stirring with a whisk so it does not go lumpy.
Once all milk has been added, bring to the boil and continue to whisk until sauce is thick. You now have a white sauce.
What cheese to use in Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake?
Best to use medium to mature cheddar in the sauce. Mild Cheddar will not give enough flavour.
For the topping, we often add parmesan as well as the medium to mature cheddar, to give an even richer flavour!
Turn heat off and add cheese to the smooth white sauce to make your cheese sauce. Add your seasoning, black pepper and salt.
Now tip the cooked pasta into the white sauce stirring it into the sticky cheesy sauce!
Top with, yes you guessed it MORE cheese! 🙂 We did say it was Cheesy!
Pop it into a preheated oven for 20 minutes until cheese has melted and is just starting to go golden.
Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake ready to serve! My daughter choose to serve up with garlic bread and a side salad.
Here is the proud chef showing off her dish! She is looking forward to showing this post to her scout's team and earning her chef badge!
How many does this serve?
The 4 of us ate this Cheesy Pasta Bake, we still had enough leftover for the kids to have the next day for dinner too! So it serves 6!
As mentioned earlier this had to be a vegetarian option as requested by the scout's team.
But you can always add ham, cooked bacon or cooked chicken into the sauce before putting into the oven if a meatier flavour is desired?
Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g (5 cups) Pasta We used Spiralini, however Penne, Fusilli, Shells, Farfalle, Rigatoni, Cavatappi will work fine.
- 3 ½ tablespoon Butter
- 2 ½ tablespoon Plain Flour
- 500 ml (2 ¼cups) Semi Skimmed Milk or full fat milk
- 160 g (1 ½ cup) Medium or Mature Cheddar grated
- Salt & Pepper to taste
To top
- 100 g (1 cup) Medium or Mature Cheddar grated
- 50 g (½ cup) Parmesan optional if like a strong cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.Cook pasta to packet instructions. Meanwhile, prepare the cheese sauce.500 g (5 cups) Pasta
- Melt butter in a pan, add the flour stir for 2 mins until smooth.3 ½ tablespoon Butter, 2 ½ tablespoon Plain Flour
- Gradually add milk 100ml( ½ cup) at a time whisking until smooth before adding the next 100 ml.Once all milk added, bring to boil then lower to simmer. Add salt & pepper and stir for 5 minutes.500 ml (2 ¼cups) Semi Skimmed Milk, Salt & Pepper to taste
- Turn heat off and add grated cheese stir through until melted.160 g (1 ½ cup) Medium or Mature Cheddar
- Drain & add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce, stir through.500 g (5 cups) Pasta
- Top with more grated cheese. Pop in the oven for 20 minutes, until cheese has melted and is just starting to turn golden.100 g (1 cup) Medium or Mature Cheddar, 50 g (½ cup) Parmesan
Video
Nutrition
Hope you enjoyed this Easy Cheesy Pasta Bake as much as we did?
Don't forget to leave us some comments below, we love to hear how you got on! 🙂
Don't forget to check out our other vegetarian dishes like our Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells or Loaded Sweet Potato Fries.
XPL
Hi! Congratulations to your daughter on earning her chefs badge!
Do you have any tips if I want to prep this ahead of time?
Can I make it up until it goes in the oven and leave it in the fridge, and pop into into the oven the day we will eat it please?
Kay
Thank you for the comment and question?
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead, oven heat covered with foil or lid at 190c/ 170 fan/ gas mark 5 for 30 minutes then an extra 10 minutes uncovered.
Hope this helps let us know how it goes?
Enjoy!!
RachJP
Lovely recipe.. I was spending £3 per portion of cheesy pasta from the coop for my daughter as it’s her fave meal as all other attempts at making it at home had failed .. UNTIL NOW !!
Omg she loves it and says this is even better than coop .. HURRAY !!
I just divided the ingredients down to make 1 portion as she definitely doesn’t need enough to feed six and it worked perfectly.. Even my hubby tried to keep stealing some
5Stars from me and my little laydee ⭐️
Luke
Thank you so much for that fantastic comment and 5* Rating 🙂
So pleased to hear you all love our cheesy pasta bake, this is our daughters favourite dish and she is very fussy lol
If you all like cheese, you might like to try out our Flawless Cheese and Bacon Turnovers they are really moreish!!
Enjoy 😉
Toni
This quickly became a favorite meal at my house! So comforting and delish!
Ramona
I’ve made this for dinner last night and everyone had seconds. So good!!
Kasey
This bake is SO incredibly cheesy! I love baking everything together so the top and sides get a nice, golden color and a little crispy!
Katie Youngs
This is such a great recipe! My whole family loved it and we had leftovers for the lunch the next day.
Kay
Thank you for the comment 🙂
Glad you liked the recipe, we always have leftovers with this recipe, which is always a bonus!!
Gloria
I am a pasta lover. This looks like a great family dinner. Leftovers would be great too. This is the perfect batch recipe for freezing.
Kay
Thanks, Gloria
Glad you liked the cheesy pasta recipe 🙂
Leftovers are perfect for freezing, enjoy!!
Lynn
Was lovely, everyone had second helpings
Luke
Hi Lynn
Thanks for the comment and rating it's much appreciated 🙂
I can see why everyone had seconds this is a moreish recipe LOL
Ruby
Hi if it’s for 1 person how much do you make
Lizet Bowen
This cheesy pasta is so creamy, and perfect. We love your recipe!
Luke
Hi Lizet
Thank you for your comment
So glad you liked our recipe, always great to hear good feedback!!
Enjoy:)
Karin Kriska
An amazing dish. Even my husband has enjoyed 😂
Luke
Wonderful! Great family meal for all to enjoy!
Amanda Marie Boyle
I love this mac and cheese recipe. I like to add a little meat so I can tell myself I'm eating a full meal.
Gillian Ratford
I made this last week for my husband his favourite it was absolutely delicious thank you 😊