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Make this easy and delicious gluten-free cheesy baked pasta because pasta night doesn't have to be boring.
Don't get me wrong; my kids love it when I make simple spaghetti with a gluten-free spaghetti sauce. Sometimes, though, you just want to make something a little more special. That is when I make this gluten-free pasta bake because it makes any pasta night a thousand times better. Don't worry it's just as easy to make.
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Ingredients.
This gluten-free pasta bake tastes like spaghetti and lasagna had a baby. It is SO good but beyond easy to make with only a few ingredients.
- Gluten-free Pasta
- Ground Beef
- Gluten-free Marinara Sauce
- Onions
- Mushrooms
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Spices
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Ingredient substitutions.
- Gluten-free pasta. - If you don't want to use gluten-free pasta, you can easily use cooked and shredded spaghetti squash instead. I have also used the palm heart noodles in this gluten-free pasta bake, and they worked great and kept their texture in this dish. That will also make this a low-carb pasta dish.
- Gluten-free spaghetti sauce - You can use whatever brand of gluten-free spaghetti sauce that you like in this cheesy pasta bake. When I want to add more veggies to this gluten-free pasta bake, I will use a batch of my vegetable marinara.
- Ground beef - You can also use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef if you prefer.
- Vegetarian pasta bake. - If you want to make this gluten-free baked pasta vegetarian, you can simply by leaving the ground meat out of the sauce.
How to make gluten-free baked pasta.
Step 1. Cook your gluten-free pasta of choice and set it aside.
Step 2. Make the layers.
This gluten-free baked pasta consists of layers of creamy, cheesy covered pasta, gluten-free marinara, and more cheese. Which is why I say it's like spaghetti and lasagna had a baby.
- Mix the cream cheese, butter, sour cream, and half the parmesan into a small bowl.
- Make the gluten-free pasta sauce layer with the ground beef and veggies.
- Toss the cooked gluten-free pasta into the cream cheese mixture to coat the pasta.
Step 3. Assemble the gluten-free pasta bake to go into the oven.
- Layer some of the sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Add a layer of the pasta, then some of the shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
- Then add another layer of the sauce.
- Repeat with more pasta and cheeses.
- Then the remaining sauce.
- Top the gluten-free pasta bake with the remaining cheeses and pop it into the oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheeses have melted.
Tips and tricks.
- Bring your cream cheese and butter to room temperature. This simple step will make it easier to toss the spaghetti squash with it.
- Don't overcook your pasta. - Because this gluten-free baked pasta uses already cooked pasta to assemble it, you want to make sure you only cook your gluten-free pasta till it's almost done and not all the way done. If you cook it all the way, your gluten-free pasta can become soggy since it is cooked more in the sauce.
Storing.
Store leftovers of this gluten-free baked pasta dish in a container in the fridge for no more than four to five days. If you want to store it longer than that, then I suggest freezing it.
Make gluten-free baked pasta ahead of time.
I make this gluten-free baked pasta dish ahead of time a lot.
- You can make and assemble it, place it in the fridge and then bake it off when you are ready to eat. It can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days before baking.
- You can even assemble and freeze this gluten-free casserole to have on hand and bake it off later. You can freeze it for up to two months.
Pro tips for freezing this gluten-free baked pasta dish.
- I did notice when using spaghetti squash, it held onto some more liquid. I recommend making sure your sauce is a little bit thicker, or you can add an egg or two to the cream cheese mixture to help it stay thicker if you are going to freeze it.
- Use a freezer-safe container or even a disposable one if you are going to freeze this gluten-free casserole. If you are using a glass or ceramic, make sure you let it fully defrost and the dish sits at room temperature before placing it in the oven. Placing a cold dish in a hot oven can cause it to crack.
- If you are using a disposable baking pan from frozen, there is no need to defrost it before baking. Just add an additional 10-15 minutes to the baking time.
More gluten-free pasta recipes to enjoy.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-free Cheesy Baked Pasta
Make this easy and delicious gluten-free cheesy baked pasta because pasta night doesn't have to be boring.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Beef or ground meat of choice
- 1 Package Gluten-free Spaghetti Spaghetti squash or other gluten-free pasta of choice.
- 1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
- 1 Small Diced Onion
- 1 28 OZ Jar Marinara Sauce of Choice
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ Cup Sour Cream
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese Divided
- 2-3 Cups Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Pepper
- 2 Cloves Minced Garlic Or 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 2 ½ Teaspoons Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Cook and drain your gluten-free pasta, spaghetti squash, or other gluten-free pasta of choice, and set it aside.1 Package Gluten-free Spaghetti
- In a skillet, cook and drain the ground beef.1 Pound Ground Beef
- Add the diced onions and mushrooms to the ground beef and cook them until they become soft.1 Small Diced Onion, 1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms
- Add the marinara sauce and spices and put it aside.1 28 OZ Jar Marinara Sauce, 2 Teaspoons Salt, 1 ½ Teaspoons Pepper, 2 ½ Teaspoons Italian Seasoning, 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
- Combine the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and half the parmesan cheese into a small bowl and mix.2 Tablespoons Butter, ½ Cup Sour Cream, 8 Ounces Cream Cheese, 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Toss the cooked spaghetti into the cream cheese mixture.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Layer a small amount of the marinara sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Then put a layer of the coated spaghetti.
- Top with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan.1 Cup Parmesan Cheese, 2-3 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
- Add another layer of the marinara sauce.
- Repeat until the baking dish is filled, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.2-3 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-45 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and gets slightly golden.
- Allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredient substitutions.
- Gluten-free pasta. - If you don't want to use gluten-free pasta, you can easily use cooked and shredded spaghetti squash instead. I have also used the palm heart noodles in this gluten-free pasta bake, and they worked great and kept their texture in this dish. That will also make this a low-carb pasta dish.
- Gluten-free spaghetti sauce - You can use whatever brand of gluten-free spaghetti sauce that you like in this cheesy pasta bake. When I want to add more veggies to this gluten-free pasta bake, I will use a batch of my vegetable marinara.
- Ground beef - You can also use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef if you prefer.
- Vegetarian pasta bake. - If you want to make this gluten-free baked pasta vegetarian, you can simply leave the ground meat out of the sauce.
- Bring your cream cheese and butter to room temperature. This simple step will make it easier to toss the spaghetti squash with it.
- Don't overcook your pasta. - Because this gluten-free baked pasta uses already cooked pasta to assemble it, you want to make sure you only cook your gluten-free pasta till it's almost done and not all the way done. If you cook it all the way, your gluten-free pasta can become soggy since it is cooked more in the sauce.
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