This Easy Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake has pasta tossed with creamy alfredo sauce and topped with a sausage-filled marinara and melty mozzarella and parmesan cheese. It's a shortcut supper that you'll make again and again!
It's my version of what you might know as "TikTok Spaghetti Alfredo," a dish that went viral a while back...and for very good reason. Not only is it super simple to make, but it's absolutely scrumptious too!
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I call this a shortcut supper because we're using store-bought alfredo and marinara sauce. All you'll need to do is boil some pasta, cook up some Italian sausage, mix things together, layer them in a baking dish, top with cheese, and bake.
And although I'm usually all about making things like the sauces from scratch, I'm also a realist. There are days when you just don't have the time or energy to do those extra steps but you still want to put a delicious and hearty meal on the table.
There are some very good quality sauces in the grocery store these days, ones that have an ingredient list of all things that you are familiar with. For example, the marinara sauce I use has just tomatoes, basil, oregano, olive oil, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Most of the recipes I've seen for this baked pasta use jarred marinara along with a homemade alfredo sauce. But jarred alfredo makes it even easier (I use a roasted garlic version), and it still tastes amazing, so that's what I use.
I also changed up the pasta. Instead of using spaghetti, I use cellentani, a fun corkscrew-shaped pasta. This recipe is very versatile, though, and you could use almost any pasta shape you want.
This yummy pasta bake is great for a weeknight dinner, Sunday supper, or even for a special occasion or serving guests. It's sure to be a hit with everyone!
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cellentani pasta (corkscrews; or the pasta shape of your choice)
- Roasted garlic alfredo sauce (or regular alfredo sauce; use your favorite jarred sauce)
- Sweet Italian sausage (bulk)
- Marinara sauce (use your favorite jarred sauce)
- Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- Parmesan cheese (shredded)
- Salt
- Fresh parsley or basil (for garnish; optional)
How to Make Easy Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1: Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions for 1 minute less than al dente; drain.
2: Return the pasta back to the pot and add the alfredo sauce; stir until well combined.
3: While the pasta is cooking, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through and starting to brown.
4: Add the marinara sauce to the sausage; stir until well-combined and heat through.
5: Transfer the pasta-alfredo mixture to a sprayed 9x13-inch baking dish.
6: Top the pasta with the sausage-marinara mixture.
7: Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the sauce.
8: Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
9: Let the pasta bake rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley or basil (if desired).
10: Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tidbits
- Generously salt the pasta cooking water. This is the only chance you get to season the pasta, and you want it to taste good!
- Slightly undercooking the pasta by 1 minute less than al dente will help ensure that it doesn't end up mushy in the finished dish (it will continue to cook while baking in the oven).
- To make the most efficient use of your time, cook the sausage and add the marinara sauce while waiting for the pasta water to boil/while the pasta is cooking.
- If you can't find bulk Italian sausage, you can use links; just remove the meat from the casings before cooking.
- You can use either a 24 or 32-ounce jar of marinara sauce. I like a little more sauce, so I most often use 32 ounces (but have used 24 ounces with great success).
- I prefer using freshly shredded mozzarella and parmesan because they melt nicer than the pre-shredded ones.
- Allowing the pasta bake to rest for 15 to 20 minutes will help make everything hold together a little easier when serving. You can skip this step if you'd rather. I like to use the time to make a salad and/or some garlic bread.
Substitutions & Variations
- Other pasta shapes, such as spaghetti, fettuccini, linguine, farfalle, rotini, penne, ziti, and rigatoni, would all work well in this dish.
- You can always use homemade alfredo sauce and/or homemade marinara sauce to really take this pasta bake over the top!
- Ground beef, meatloaf mix, ground turkey or even ground chicken could be used instead of Italian sausage (or you could use a combination).
- Basil, oregano or Italian seasoning could be added to the sauce, if desired.
- For a spicy kick, use an arrabbiata sauce, add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce, or use hot Italian sausage (or a combination of hot and sweet).
- Want some veggies in there? Add chopped onions, bell peppers and/or sliced mushrooms to the sauce (cook them along with the sausage). Or add some fresh spinach (add it with the marinara sauce and stir until it wilts).
- If you'd like to make it a meatless meal, just omit the sausage.
Make Ahead, Storing, Reheating & Freezing
Make Ahead
Assemble the pasta bake and allow it to cool to room temperature. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
When ready to bake, be sure to take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes to take the chill off before baking according to the recipe instructions. Some baking dishes can crack when they experience an extreme temperature change such as going straight from the fridge into a hot oven; this helps prevent that.
You will need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time since the ingredients are colder than if you were making it fresh.
Storing
Store any leftovers, once cooled, tightly covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. If you made it ahead, remember to start counting from the day you assembled it and not the day you baked it.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers in a covered baking dish in a 325°F oven until heated through.
Freezing
Freeze any leftovers in an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating as directed above.
Note that pasta often becomes softer after being frozen, so the texture might be a little different than when it was freshly baked.
Make It A Freezer Meal
- Assemble the casserole but don't bake.
- I recommend using a disposable aluminum foil pan so you don't have to tie up one of your baking dishes. If using a glass or ceramic baking dish, make sure it is one that is freezer-safe and can go from the freezer to the oven.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil; freeze for up to 2 to 3 months.
- Thaw completely in the refrigerator before baking according to the recipe instructions.
- If you used a glass/ceramic baking dish, be sure to let it sit out at room temperature to take the chill of before baking (see "Make Ahead" above).
Serving Suggestions
When it comes to pasta dishes, my go-to sides are salad and bread!
I especially love this pasta bake with my Italian Tossed Salad and Homemade Italian Dressing or Caesar Salad. But a simple tossed green salad with any kind of dressing is awesome too!
For bread, my top choice is my Homemade Garlic Bread, and the runner-up is my Easy Homemade Italian Bread slathered with butter.
And you can't really ever go wrong with some of your favorite veggies on the side!
Also be sure to check out my version of the viral TikTok Baked Feta Pasta.
I hope you try this Easy Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Easy Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 16 ounces cellentani pasta (corkscrews), or the pasta shape of your choice
- 1 (15-ounce) jar roasted garlic alfredo sauce, or regular alfredo sauce
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
- 1 (24 or 32-ounce) jar marinara sauce, I use a 32-ounce jar
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt, to taste
- fresh chopped parsley or basil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9x13x2-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to the package directions but for 1 minute less than al dente; drain.The pasta will continue to cook in the oven, so slightly undercooking the pasta will help prevent it from overcooking and becoming mushy.Generously salt the pasta cooking water so the pasta tastes good!
- Put the drained pasta back in the pot and add the alfredo sauce; stir until well-combined.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until it is cooked through and starting to brown lightly; drain off any excess grease.
- Add the marinara sauce to the cooked sausage in the skillet; stir to combine. Heat through, stirring occasionally.
- Place the pasta/alfredo mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly out across the bottom of the dish.
- Top the pasta with the sausage/marinara sauce mixture, spreading it out evenly over the pasta.
- Evenly sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses over the sauce.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Remove the pasta bake from the oven and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley or basil over the entire casserole or over each individual serving, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make the most efficient use of your time, cook the sausage and add the marinara sauce while waiting for the pasta water to boil/while the pasta is cooking.
- Other pasta shapes, such as spaghetti, fettuccini, linguine, farfalle, rotini, penne, ziti, and rigatoni, all work well in this dish.
- If you can't find bulk Italian sausage, you can use links; just remove the meat from the casings before cooking.
- Please refer to the post for additional recipe tips, substitutions and variations, serving suggestions, and information on making ahead, storing, freezing, and reheating.
Diane,Meyers says
Made it using hamburger,, pepper and onions, Turned out great, thinking of making it for a company dish, looks,fantastic!!!!!!
Michelle says
Thank you, Diane...so happy you enjoyed it, and your variation sounds delish!