This page brings together five pasta dishes that range from creamy skillet comfort to chilled salad and easy baked casseroles.
Each recipe leans on a different method, from simmering sauce on the stove to baking the pasta with broth, cheese, or a thick prepared sauce.
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- Italian Sausage Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
- Best Pasta Salad
- Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Boursin Zucchini Pasta
- Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Chicken Fajita Pasta
- Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Crack Chicken Pasta
Italian Sausage Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Italian Sausage Pasta with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce starts with browned sausage cooked with onion, then seasoned with garlic, marjoram, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes. The pasta is cooked separately, while the sauce builds in the same skillet by scraping up the browned bits with chicken broth before cream is added and simmered until thickened.
Once the sauce has reduced, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach are stirred in until the cheese melts and the greens wilt. The sausage and rigatoni go back into the skillet so everything can be tossed together and heated through, giving the dish a rich, coated finish before serving with salt to taste.
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Best Pasta Salad
Best Pasta Salad combines cooled rotini with cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, salami or summer sausage, olives, pepperoncini, red onion, and parsley. The dressing is whisked separately from olive oil, vinegar, water, sea salt, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, and black pepper, which keeps the flavors balanced before it meets the pasta.
The pasta is cooked until al dente, rinsed under cold water, and tossed with olive oil so it stays loose. After the dressing is poured over the salad and everything is gently mixed, it chills for at least 2 hours so the flavors can settle into the pasta and mix-ins before serving.
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Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Boursin Zucchini Pasta
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Boursin Zucchini Pasta is built directly in a casserole dish with uncooked short pasta, zucchini half-moons, a whole round of Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese, and broth. The pasta is spread evenly across the dish, the zucchini is arranged on top, and the cheese sits in the center so it can melt into the liquid as it bakes.
The dish is covered tightly with foil and baked first so the pasta softens in the broth. After the foil comes off, the mixture is stirred to blend the softened cheese into the liquid, then baked uncovered until most of the broth becomes sauce; if needed, more hot broth or water can be added before a final bake, and the pasta rests briefly before serving.
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Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Chicken Fajita Pasta
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Chicken Fajita Pasta layers uncooked short pasta, sliced bell peppers, raw chicken strips, and thick chicken fajita-style sauce in a greased baking dish. The sauce is pushed into the corners and between the noodles so most of the pasta touches moisture, and a little water can be stirred in first if the sauce is especially thick.
The covered dish bakes long enough for steam to cook the pasta and chicken through, with the chicken checked for doneness at 165°F. If the pasta is still firm, it goes back in briefly under foil, then the finished dish is stirred from the bottom and rested for about 5 minutes before being scooped straight from the baking dish.
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Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Crack Chicken Pasta
Oven Baked 4-Ingredient Crack Chicken Pasta mixes dry penne with cooked shredded chicken, condensed cream of chicken soup, ranch seasoning, water, cheddar, and crumbled bacon. The soup, seasoning, and water are whisked smooth first, then some cheese and bacon are stirred in before the pasta and chicken are added so everything is evenly coated.
After the mixture is transferred to a greased baking dish, it is pressed down so most of the pasta sits under the sauce and then baked covered. The dish is stirred once the foil comes off, topped with the remaining cheddar, and baked uncovered until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles at the edges, with the remaining bacon scattered on at the end.
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