Gluten Free Baked Penne
Gluten Free Living – 2014
Gluten Free Baked Penne is awesome. I love pasta. Any kind and any shape will do. I suppose that’s because I really enjoy Marinara and Alfredo sauces so much. I’m a tomato fiend and a cheese sauce fiend! Gluten Free Baked Penne gives me the best of everything.
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There’s gluten free pasta, lots of spaghetti sauce, and an abundance of cheese. This meatless main dish is simply mouthwatering. It’s really easy to prepare as well. I actually made this dish up the day before I needed it and baked it the following day on a “time bake” when I was at church. I came home to the lovely fragrance of Italian. Yum.
As I noted in my post on Gluten Free Strawberry Dump Cake Cobbler, we have a friend who has Celiac Disease and has to be very strict with her diet. Any slip ups–even accidentally, and she’s in big trouble. I promised her a gluten free pasta when we had an Italian potluck at her home last Sunday. This recipe substituting gluten free noodles fits the bill entirely. She loved it, as well as a host of other people who aren’t on gluten free diets. Most of them couldn’t even tell it was gluten free pasta.
Let me give you some advice about using gluten free pasta. All gluten free pasta is not equal! The 100% corn-based pastas are absolutely wretched! They taste awful and become gummy and hard after cooking. Don’t bother spending your money on them. Some of them consist of all brown rice. Those are too starchy and usually taste awful, too.
The penne pasta I recommend is Ronzoni’s gluten free penne rigate. They combine rice, corn and quinoa for a fantastic blend that’s hard to distinguish from regular pasta. It’s perfect.
Gluten Free Baked Penne is a great Meatless Monday recipe. It’s hearty, filling and satisfying. It doesn’t use many ingredients or have a lot of steps to it. I can’t tell you how many people came up to me raving over this pasta last Sunday. When I told them it was gluten free they were astounded.
Almost everyone went back for seconds. I’ve made this recipe before using regular pasta with meatballs and regular pasta with Italian sausage. All three are excellent in taste. But if you prefer a meatless version then this is it. If you’re not gluten intolerant, regular wheat pasta will also work fine. For that matter, you can use almost any kind of pasta: ziti, bow-ties, extra large elbow macaroni, rotini or the ribbed tubular pastas.
I first sampled this recipe (not a gluten free version) at my son and daughter-in-law’s when we were visiting them last year. I’ve changed it around quite a bit because we prefer a lot more sauce in our pasta recipes. I also added Italian seasoning and basil to increase the flavors. I think this improved version is absolutely terrific. We prefer a vibrant flavorful sauce so a few enhancements like made here greatly augment the recipe.
If you’re looking for a dandy gluten free pasta recipe then you’ve come to the right place. Gluten Free Baked Penne is a fantastic recipe you’re family is sure to love. It has so much cheese in it you won’t even miss the meat. This tasty Italian dish is excellent for company, too. And, of course, it’s one the best comfort foods you’ll ever consume!
I originally made this recipe in July of 2014 before good gluten free pasta was available. While it was a hit with company, my pictures were not a hit. I recently remade this recipe (November 2018) for our kids, and my sister and her husband. They were in town for a wedding so they wanted Italian. My brother-in-law asked for Garlic Bread. 🙂 I used the good Ronzoni gluten free pasta this time. The pasta was amazing. No one was able to tell this casserole was a gluten free dish! Obviously, if you really are cooking for anyone eating gluten free, skip the Garlic Bread. 🙂 Other than that, this dish is just about perfect.
Gluten Free Baked Penne is awesome!
Anyone who eats this tasty main dish will be joining the “clean your plate” club because you will want to eat every bite!
Gluten Free Baked Penne is a fantastic Meatless Monday dish.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Boil gluten free pasta according to package directions. I highly recommend using Ronzoni GF pasta as it has the best texture and taste that compares to regular pasta. Remove from heat and drain. Place pasta into a large mixing bowl.
Add Ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese and a bottle of spaghetti sauce. Any flavor will do but make sure your spaghetti sauce is gluten free.
Stir ingredients to combine.
Spread pasta mixture into the bottom of a greased 9×13″ glass baking dish.
Add a jar of spaghetti sauce.
Sprinkle heavily with Italian seasoning and basil. I used a tablespoonful of each. You can also add roasted minced garlic, fennel seed, parsley and crushed red pepper flakes for a little more zip, if you desire.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake pasta dish at 350 for about 45 minutes to an hour or until hot and bubbly.
Everyone raved over this delicious pasta dish. I believe you’ll enjoy it too.
Gluten Free Baked Penne is really easy to prepare.
My brother-in-law wanted Garlic Bread. However, if you’re trying to keep this meal gluten free, you’ll need to find a gluten free garlic bread.
Here’s the recipe.
GLUTEN FREE BAKED PENNE
(My own concoction)
Gluten Free Baked Penne
Equipment
- 1 9x13" glass baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 large stock pot with lid
- 1 colander
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Ronzoni Gluten Free Multi Grain Penne with rice, corn and quinoa
- 24 oz. ricotta cheese
- 16 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 24-oz. jars spaghetti sauce gluten free
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
Instructions
- Bring pasta to a boil and boil until al dente—about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain.
- Place pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, egg and one jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Place in a greased deep dish 9x13” baking dish.
- Top with remaining jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Sprinkle with a tablespoon each of dried basil and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake, covered at 350° about 45-60 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 16-oz. DeBoles Gluten Free Multi Grain Penne (with rice, quinoa and amaranth)
- 24-oz. ricotta cheese
- 16-oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 24-oz. jars spaghetti sauce (gluten free) – I used Ragu Traditional
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp. basil
- Bring pasta to a boil and boil 2 minutes.
- Turn off heat and allow pasta to soak in hot water for 15 minutes.
- Drain.
- Place pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, egg and one jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Place in a greased 10×15” baking dish.
- Top with remaining jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Sprinkle with a tablespoon each of basil and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake, covered at 350° about 45-60 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
You will be hard-pressed to eat less than two servings of this amazing pasta.
Every bite is so enjoyable. If you enjoy pasta, you will make this dish over and over and over!
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Gluten Free Baked Penne
Equipment
- 1 9×13" glass baking dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 large stock pot with lid
- 1 colander
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Ronzoni Gluten Free Multi Grain Penne with rice, corn and quinoa
- 24 oz. ricotta cheese
- 16 oz. mozzarella cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 24-oz. jars spaghetti sauce gluten free
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp. dried basil
Instructions
- Bring pasta to a boil and boil until al dente—about 8-10 minutes.
- Drain.
- Place pasta in a large mixing bowl.
- Add ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, egg and one jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Stir to combine.
- Place in a greased deep dish 9×13” baking dish.
- Top with remaining jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Sprinkle with a tablespoon each of dried basil and Italian seasoning.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Bake, covered at 350° about 45-60 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
2 Comments
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