Make-Ahead Pasta Recipes for Comfort Food on the Fly

Published 05/07/2020

There’s really nothing better than a remembering you have a casserole of ready-to-bake pasta waiting for you in the fridge come dinnertime. Consider it a favor to your future self and trust us, you won’t be the only one who’ll be glad for your foresight. Hungry kiddos will love these tasty make-ahead pasta dishes!

Million-Dollar Spaghetti Casserole
4.4 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 384 reviews.
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 11
Servings: 8
There’s a very good reason behind the name of this recipe. Four types of cheese get baked with tender spaghetti noodles and bright tomato sauce for a make-ahead pasta dish will bring you and your family a great deal of comfort—and it tastes like a million bucks!
Make-Ahead Turkey Tetrazzini
4.4 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 46 reviews.
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 9 hr 25 min
Ingredients: 14
Servings: 8
Leftover turkey? Bake it into this creamy and completely classic casserole, known as a tetrazzini! Tender chunks of turkey, silky spaghetti noodles, earthy mushrooms and nutty Parmesan cheese bake together for a cozy dinner you can prep the night before.
Make-Ahead Creamy Spinach Lasagna
4.9 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 9 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 50 min
Total time: 1 hr 45 min
Ingredients: 16
Servings: 8
There’s no getting around it, homemade lasagna is a high-effort dish, which means it’s not always possible on any old weeknight. But with a little advanced preparation, this luscious version featuring layers of tender noodles, buttery mushrooms, fresh spinach and melty mozzarella can fill a spot on your weekly dinner menu. Make a batch on the weekend and freeze it for the week ahead—it’s our favorite dinnertime hack yet!
Make-Ahead Cheesy Southwest Chicken and Pasta Casserole
4.7 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 13 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 1 hr 25 min
Ingredients: 18
Servings: 10
Crunchy, cheesy and full of bold Southwest flavors, this casserole is bound to be hit with just about anyone, including picky eaters. The secret’s in the scratch sauce, or should we say cheesy roux, that tastes just like a velvety, perfectly spiced queso. Once each bowtie noodle is coated in the creamy sauce, chicken, corn and beans are added to the mix. Top with enchilada sauce for an extra kick and this dinner is ready for baking! Don’t forget to top with tortilla chips for a crunchy contrast to all that cheesy pasta.
Quick Lasagna
4.1 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 24 reviews.
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 1 hr 5 min
Ingredients: 8
Servings: 4
All it takes is eight ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time to throw together this quick and easy lasagna. Made in your 8x8-inch baking dish, this scaled-down version of an Italian favorite is perfect for smaller families. Plus, you can assemble it the night before, so come dinnertime the next day all that’s left to do is bake.
Make-Ahead Cheesy Turkey Spinach Lasagna Rolls
4.4 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 14 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 50 min
Total time: 10 hr 20 min
Ingredients: 13
Servings: 16
Not only are these cheesy turkey spinach lasagna roll-ups easy to make, but they’re also the perfect freezer-friendly meal. Prep a whole batch and store them in your freezer for up to three months, so the next time you’re in a dinner pinch, reach for these tasty roll-ups.
Make-Ahead Cheeseburger Lasagna
4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 16 reviews.
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 10 hr 5 min
Ingredients: 14
Servings: 8
Pasta that tastes like a cheeseburger? I think we’ve captured the attention of every picky eater on the planet. Easy, cheesy and packed with familiar flavors you can almost guarantee everyone at the dinner table will happily gobble up this recipe.
Make-Ahead Meat-Lovers' Lasagna Rolls
4.7 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 107 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 hr 20 min
Ingredients: 11
Servings: 16
Meat lovers rejoice! These hearty roll-ups get big flavor thanks to the inclusion of both pork sausage and ground beef. When you’re ready to bake this make-ahead lasagna, top it with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese for a saucy, melty dinner that’s simply irresistible.
Creamy Pesto-Chicken Casserole
4.2 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 58 reviews.
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 4
Thanks to store-bought pesto and jarred Alfredo sauce, this creamy chicken casserole can be on the table is under an hour, or even less time if you’ve prepped ahead! Herbaceous pesto coats each noodle to perfection, making each bite is better than the next.
Make-Ahead Pizza Casserole
3.9 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 37 reviews.
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 9 hr 40 min
Ingredients: 7
Servings: 6
Pizza-flavored things are, well, universally beloved. Who doesn’t adore pizza!? With sausage, olives and lots and lots of cheese, this prep-ahead casserole pulls off the flavors of a perfect pie and with only 6 ingredients—talk about easy peasy!
Penne with Tomato and Smoked Cheese
4.4 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 66 reviews.
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 4
Servings: 6
If you’ve got four ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time, you can call this smoky penne pasta dinner! Penne pasta, smoked mozzarella cheese, Alfredo sauce and diced tomatoes can be assembled overnight for an easy-to-bake dinner the next day. Or, bake it off tonight for a meal that’s ready in under an hour.
Do-Ahead Ravioli Sausage Lasagna
4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value out of 62 reviews.
Kitchen Tested
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 9 hr 30 min
Ingredients: 5
Servings: 8
Consider this recipe the ultimate dump-and-go dinner. Dump all the ingredients in your 13x9-inch dish, cover with foil and pop it into the fridge for an overnight rest. When dinner sneaks up on you the next day, all you have to is bake and eat this cheesy, meaty ravioli lasagna.

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