Easy Summer Pasta Bake

Here is my favorite summer pasta bake recipe, loaded with frozen vegetables, fresh spinach, basil, a rich tomato sauce, and creamy ricotta and pecorino cheeses all baked together until bubbly.

This pasta bake is perfect for those busy weeknights when you need something easy but still want everyone at the table happy. I love that you can use frozen vegetables, so there’s barely any prep work involved!

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What Kind of Pasta Should I Use?

This recipe calls for conchiglie, which are those shell-shaped pasta pieces that are perfect for catching all the sauce and vegetables in their little pockets. If you can’t find conchiglie at your store, don’t worry – you can swap in other medium-sized pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, or even fusilli. The key is to use a pasta shape with some texture or ridges that will hold onto the sauce well. Fresh pasta won’t work as well here since baked pasta dishes need the sturdier texture of dried pasta to hold up during baking.

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Options for Substitutions

This pasta bake is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need them:

• Chargrilled Mediterranean vegetables: If you can’t find the pre-packaged chargrilled veggies, use fresh zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplant instead. Just dice them up and sauté in olive oil until softened before adding to the sauce.
• Conchiglie pasta: Any short pasta shape works great here – try penne, rigatoni, or fusilli. The key is using something that can hold onto the sauce and ricotta.
• Ricotta: Cottage cheese makes a good substitute if you blend it until smooth. You can also use a mix of cream cheese and milk (about 200g cream cheese plus 3-4 tablespoons milk) for a similar creamy texture.
• Pecorino: Parmesan cheese is basically interchangeable here and will give you that same salty, sharp flavor.
• Frozen spinach: Fresh spinach works too – you’ll need about 400g. Just wilt it down in a pan first, then squeeze out the excess water before adding it to the dish.
• Fresh basil: In a pinch, use 2 teaspoons of dried basil, but add it earlier when cooking the sauce so the flavors have time to develop.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with pasta bakes is overcooking the pasta during the initial boil – since it continues cooking in the oven, you need to undercook it by about 4 minutes so it doesn’t turn mushy in the final dish.

Don’t skip saving that pasta water before draining, as it’s your secret weapon for loosening up a sauce that’s too thick and helps everything bind together nicely.

When layering your ricotta topping, make sure to dollop it evenly across the surface rather than spreading it in one thick layer, which allows some pasta to get crispy on top while keeping the rest creamy underneath.

Finally, resist the urge to dig in right away – letting the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes after baking helps it set up properly and makes serving much cleaner.

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What to Serve With Summer Pasta Bake?

This pasta bake is pretty hearty on its own, so I like to keep the sides simple and fresh. A crisp green salad with a light lemon vinaigrette is perfect for cutting through the richness of the ricotta and balancing out all those Mediterranean flavors. Garlic bread is always a crowd-pleaser if you want something to scoop up any extra sauce from the bottom of your bowl. For a complete meal, you could also serve it with some roasted vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers on the side, though honestly, the bake already has plenty of veggies built right in.

Storage Instructions

Store: This pasta bake keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. It actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to meld together, making it perfect for meal prep or leftovers.

Freeze: You can freeze this bake for up to 3 months, either as a whole dish or in individual portions. Just make sure it’s completely cooled first, then wrap it tightly in foil and plastic wrap or store in a freezer-safe container.

Reheat: To warm it up, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes if refrigerated, or 45 minutes if frozen. You can also microwave individual portions for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through to heat evenly.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1750-1950
• Protein: 55-65 g
• Fat: 65-75 g
• Carbohydrates: 225-245 g

Ingredients

For the sauce and vegetables:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 24.5 oz frozen vegetables
• 10 g fresh basil
• 17.5 oz passata
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1/2 tsp dried chillies
• 7 oz spinach
• 0.5 oz unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp tomato purée

For the pasta and topping:

• 10.5 oz pasta
• 9 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon
• 1.5 oz pecorino cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Heat the Oven

• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 lemon
• 10 g fresh basil
• 1 vegetable stock cube

Mince the 4 garlic cloves for the sauce and set aside separately from the 1 whole garlic clove you’ll need later.

Zest the lemon and set aside.

Finely chop the fresh basil, separating the stems from the leaves.

Crumble the vegetable stock cube.

Preheat your oven to 200°C (about 400°F) so it’s ready when you need it.

Having everything prepped and your oven heating simultaneously means you won’t have any idle time while the sauce simmers.

Step 2: Build the Tomato and Vegetable Sauce Base

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 24.5 oz frozen vegetables
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 17.5 oz passata
• 10 g fresh basil stems from Step 1
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1/2 tsp dried chillies
• 150 ml water

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, then stir in the frozen vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes to warm through.

Add the tomato purée and stir well to coat the vegetables, cooking for another minute to develop the tomato flavor.

Pour in the passata, add the basil stems, crumbled stock cube, dried chillies, and 150ml water.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld and deepen.

Step 3: Cook the Pasta and Finish the Sauce

• 10.5 oz pasta
• 7 oz spinach
• 0.5 oz unsalted butter

About 10 minutes before your sauce finishes simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 4 minutes less than the package instructions—this is crucial since the pasta will continue cooking in the oven and won’t turn mushy.

Drain the pasta well, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

As the pasta drains, stir the spinach and butter into your simmering sauce and cook for the final 10 minutes.

I find that adding the spinach at the end preserves its bright color and fresh taste better than cooking it from the start.

Step 4: Make the Creamy Ricotta Topping

• 9 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon zest from Step 1
• 1.5 oz pecorino cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 10 g fresh basil leaves from Step 1
• Black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, lemon zest from Step 1, pecorino cheese, the whole garlic clove (finely minced), fresh basil leaves from Step 1, and a generous grind of black pepper.

Mix gently with a fork until well combined but still creamy.

This mixture will create a delicious contrast against the baked pasta beneath it.

Step 5: Combine and Assemble the Bake

• Tomato and vegetable sauce from Step 2
• Cooked pasta from Step 3
• Reserved pasta cooking water
• Creamy ricotta topping from Step 4
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Pour the cooked sauce from Step 2 into a large bowl with the cooked pasta from Step 3.

Toss together gently, checking the consistency—if the mixture seems dry, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until it reaches a moist but not soupy texture.

Transfer the pasta mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish (or similar size) and spread it evenly.

Dollop the ricotta mixture from Step 4 over the top in generous spoonfuls, then drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the ricotta to help it brown beautifully.

Step 6: Bake and Finish

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Place the assembled bake into your preheated 200°C oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce bubbles slightly around the edges.

The pasta should be tender but not soft, and the ricotta topping should have a light golden crust.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving—this allows the dish to set slightly and makes it easier to serve clean portions.

Easy Summer Pasta Bake

Delicious Easy Summer Pasta Bake recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1850 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the sauce and vegetables:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 24.5 oz frozen vegetables
• 10 g fresh basil
• 17.5 oz passata
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1/2 tsp dried chillies
• 7 oz spinach
• 0.5 oz unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp tomato purée

For the pasta and topping:

• 10.5 oz pasta
• 9 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 lemon
• 1.5 oz pecorino cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Instructions

 

• Mince the 4 garlic cloves for the sauce and set aside separately from the 1 whole garlic clove you'll need later. Zest the lemon and set aside. Finely chop the fresh basil, separating the stems from the leaves. Crumble the vegetable stock cube. Preheat your oven to 200°C (about 400°F) so it's ready when you need it. Having everything prepped and your oven heating simultaneously means you won't have any idle time while the sauce simmers.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, then stir in the frozen vegetables and cook for 3-4 minutes to warm through. Add the tomato purée and stir well to coat the vegetables, cooking for another minute to develop the tomato flavor. Pour in the passata, add the basil stems, crumbled stock cube, dried chillies, and 150ml water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the flavors to meld and deepen.
• About 10 minutes before your sauce finishes simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 4 minutes less than the package instructions—this is crucial since the pasta will continue cooking in the oven and won't turn mushy. Drain the pasta well, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water. As the pasta drains, stir the spinach and butter into your simmering sauce and cook for the final 10 minutes. I find that adding the spinach at the end preserves its bright color and fresh taste better than cooking it from the start.
• In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, lemon zest from Step 1, pecorino cheese, the whole garlic clove (finely minced), fresh basil leaves from Step 1, and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix gently with a fork until well combined but still creamy. This mixture will create a delicious contrast against the baked pasta beneath it.
• Pour the cooked sauce from Step 2 into a large bowl with the cooked pasta from Step 3. Toss together gently, checking the consistency—if the mixture seems dry, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until it reaches a moist but not soupy texture. Transfer the pasta mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish (or similar size) and spread it evenly. Dollop the ricotta mixture from Step 4 over the top in generous spoonfuls, then drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the ricotta to help it brown beautifully.
• Place the assembled bake into your preheated 200°C oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sauce bubbles slightly around the edges. The pasta should be tender but not soft, and the ricotta topping should have a light golden crust. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving—this allows the dish to set slightly and makes it easier to serve clean portions.