Layered Baked Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Tomato Sauce

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

A comforting baked pasta dish featuring layers of tender pasta, roasted garlic tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese. This Italian-inspired Super Bowl recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 55 minutes, pairs penne pasta, garlic cloves, olive oil for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 40 min Serves 4 Italian cuisine 420 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 6 whole garlic cloves on a small baking dish, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, and roast for 20 minutes until soft and fragrant.
  2. Step 2: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 12 oz penne pasta and cook for 9 minutes until al dente, then drain and set aside.
  3. Step 3: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into the pan and sauté with 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Let simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
  4. Step 4: In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a third of the tomato sauce evenly. Layer half of the cooked penne over the sauce, then sprinkle 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese and half of the chopped 1/4 cup basil. Repeat layering with remaining sauce, pasta, mozzarella, and basil.
  5. Step 5: Top the final layer with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 400°F for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden around edges. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

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