- 20 oz penne pasta, uncooked
- 4 14.5 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 4 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/8 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 ½ Tpsp dried basil
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
We are a big fan of easy, healthy recipes! This marinara pasta bake couldn’t get any easier! It takes about 10-15 minutes to prep, and then you just let it bake! When my husband and I want to work out in the evening after work or just relax, or if you have kiddos to watch after, this is a perfect recipe. You can even let the kids help you with since it’s short and easy. They would love combining the ingredients into the bowl. Or if you’re like me, I don’t have any children, but I like how quick and easy it is to prepare.
This recipe serves 4-5 people so it’s great for a whole family, but it also is delicious as leftovers! We usually eat our marinara pasta bake for two nights in a row, and it just gets more flavorful as it sits. It’s also a very kid friendly recipe. Baked pasta is always fun for kids to eat, and it’s a healthy recipe! Note: You may not want to include the red pepper flakes if you’re making this for children. It adds a little kick to it.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
If you bought diced tomatoes as opposed to the crushed tomatoes, blend the diced tomatoes.
In a large bowl, combine the crushed tomatoes, water, olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and uncooked pasta.
Pour the mixture into a 9″ x 13″ pan.
Slice the tomatoes and layer them on top of the pasta mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.
Serve and garnish with fresh basil.
