Only four ingredients and 15 minutes prep time to make this delicious Red and White Pasta casserole. This kid-friendly dish is a great make-ahead dinner, can be frozen and is a great budget-friendly meal!
Serve this pasta casserole alongside this Italian salad, dinner rolls, and/or these roasted brussels sprouts.
At my wedding shower, guests were asked to bring a recipe card with their favorite recipe on it. I had so much fun cooking through the handwritten recipe cards throughout the first year of being married. One of my go-to recipes is this very recipe I’m sharing today from my friend Janae: Red and White Pasta.
It’s ridiculously easy and a great filling meal (especially on our limited college budgets). And now that I have three hungry kiddos of my own, this is the best meal to make on a busy night. They love Red and White Pasta!
How to make Red and White Pasta
- Cook: Boil the pasta and drain. I like to cook it a minute less than the package says, since the pasta will also be baked. You don’t want mushy pasta, and this helps it to retain a “bite.”.
- Layer: Once the pasta is cooked, it’s time to layer the casserole, starting with a little marinara sauce. Next half the pasta goes in, half the Alfredo, half the marinara and half the cheese.
- Layer continued: Finish with the final layers–the rest of the pasta, rest of the Alfredo, rest of the marinara, and rest of the cheese.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly.
Quick Tip
Don’t let the cheesy sauce in Red and White Pasta stick to the foil that covers your baking pan. Spray the side that will be touching the sauce with nonstick vegetable oil spray–and you won’t miss a drop of that deliciousness.
Red and White Pasta variations
- The recipe card I received for Red and White Pasta included a chopped green bell pepper. The pepper is nice because it adds freshness and a pop of color. Dice and add it in layers right after the pasta.
- Add sautéed mushrooms, again, right after adding in the pasta. I’d sauté them in a little olive oil and season them with salt and pepper before adding.
- A few other veggie addition ideas include sautéed yellow onion, sautéed zucchini, and sautéed yellow squash.
Recipe variations, continued
- Switch up the pasta: Use farfalle, rotini, or ziti instead of penne. Or use a healthier pasta alternative such as chickpea cavatappi, veggie rotini, or lentil penne.
- Make homemade Alfredo sauce: While this will add quite a bit to the prep time, it makes the dish delicious and is a great alternative if you’re avoiding store-bought sauces!
- Similar to the above point, make homemade marinara sauce: Again, it will add to the prep time, but works well in this Red and White Pasta.
Adding protein
This is a tasty, filling meal that happens to be vegetarian. If you want to add some protein, I’d recommend a side of grilled chicken. Or adding some thinly sliced/shredded rotisserie chicken to the casserole. If preparing chicken, I recommend using this grilled chicken marinade–, it’s a reader favorite recipe!
Store-bought sauces
Not sure what sauces to use? Here’s a list of the top store-bought Alfredo sauces and top store-bought marinara sauces. Personally, Rao’s® marinara and Bertolli ® Alfredo are my favorites in Red and White Pasta.
Red and White Pasta quick tips
- Use freshly grated mozzarella: Bot only is it more cost-effective, but it melts much better. Pre-grated cheese has a cellulose coating to keep it from clumping together.
- Cook the pasta a minute shy of al dente and drain it well: We don’t want mushy or watery pasta! I let it sit in the colander for a few minutes to ensure it’s thoroughly dry.
- Completely cover the pasta noodles: Aim to cover all the pasta with the sauces so you don’t end up with hard, overcooked edges.
- Add fresh herbs: Totally optional, but a little sprinkle of chopped parsley or basil adds a nice freshness.
More easy dinner recipes
- Bruschetta Pasta vegetarian
- Honey Lime Chicken
- Chicken Divan
- Shrimp Tacos reader favorite
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
Red and White Pasta
Equipment
- Baking dish 9 x 13-inch, glass or ceramic
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) box penne pasta
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce
- 2-1/4 cups freshly shredded Mozzarella Cheese an 8-ounce block
- Chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Cook pasta according to package directions, cooking for 1 minute less than the package says. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
- In a 9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of marinara sauce on bottom. Pour half the cooked pasta on top. Pour half the alfredo sauce, half the marinara sauce and 1 cup of cheese evenly over pasta. Repeat layers: remaining pasta, remaining alfredo sauce, remaining marinara, and remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Enjoy right out of the oven! Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Pouring 2 different kids of pasta sauce over store-bought pasta is not cooking! Its not even a recipe! Pathetic. Do none of you know how to cook? Whats next, posting how to toast bread?
This was a nice recipe though I found it a little bland. Next time I’ll add a little extra seasoning when laying out the sauces. Still good though.
Love this recipe! So easy to make and so delicious.
Yay! I’m so happy you loved this red and white pasta! Thanks Hannah! 🙂
My kids loved this, especially the teen girls who prefer vegetarian dishes. I plan to make it again for a larger crowd, one as-is for the kids, and one with some extra veggies for the adults. Thank you for the easy and delicious recipe!
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Looks yummy and your words also make it sound delectable. I really want to try it asap. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you!