Pasta bake ideas?

[Interl0per]

I have an undetermined number of people coming for lunch on Sunday (between 4-15 of us, unknown until the day...).
I need a proper main meal, that I can prep in advance and leave in the oven on a timer, while I'm at church in the morning.

I'm thinking pasta bake, as every possible attendee will eat pasta, and leftovers can be frozen (I know the texture isn't always great, but on this occasion I think it may be necessary).

I need to make two different trays due to oven space. I know tuna isn't popular with my visitors, and I'm not keen on white sauce, so would rather avoid being left with lots of that. I'm thinking a tomato-based one, but would love inspiration for the second tray.

TIA

(Edit for spelling)

Macaroni cheese and a green salad. Unless it’s kids that sounds a bit grim though. Make a bolognese and make the spaghetti when they arrive, freezing the rest?

I love a chicken fajita pasta bake, I also do a lovely pizza pasta bake (not pizza at all just toppings and tomato sauce!). Lasagne is the obvious choice.

Greek gnocchi bake? With courgette, red onion, cherry tomato and feta? Chuck some oregano & garlic over it, then some
honey when it’s cooked and mix in the melted feta.

I made this last week and its delicious. Any leftovers, can be frozen.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/stuffed-pasta-bake-bolognese

@Darkclothes where did you buy your large pasta shells? I've been hunting for them for ages!

A pesto based sauce, with added wilted spinach, chopped and sautéed broccoli, and loads of mozzarella on top. Very filling. You can use tubs of fresh supermarket pesto, I like M&S.

I would do a big vat of bolognaise sauce in advance, leave in oven on low when you are in church (or do in Slowcooker) and then just cook the necessary amount of pasta when you get back and freeze any unused sauce.

• Chicken, leek and cream with parmesan on top
• Tomato (tinned) and chopped chorizo, red pepper
• Courgette, bacon (cooked first), halved cherry tomatoes, fresh basil with mozzarella on top.

I'm saving this thread for selfish purposes, OP 😅🙏

This is on regular rotation in my household. It's a very light spinach and ricotta sauce (I use frozen spinach btw & cook it in with the pasta).

www.recipetineats.com/spinach-ricotta-pasta-bake/

Chicken and mushroom with penne or Rigatoni. Make a creamy sauce with garlic and white wine.

Oh ..not white sauce (just reread). Not even cheesy sauce?

I'd second the Chorizo one..with red peppers and other veg and a tomato chilli based sauce. Mozerella on top.

Morrisons.

They seemed to have a range of new, giant pasta shapes on special when I last visited. I only discovered this recipe, when trying to work out what to do with the giant pasta shells! 😆

groceries.morrisons.com/products/morrisons-the-best-conchiglioni-pasta/113860285?utm_source=tradedoubler_Delupe+UK+-+Google+Shopping+%28CSS%29&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=0&sprogram=246156&affiliateId=2453826&site_name=Delupe+UK+-+Google+Shopping+%28CSS%29&tduid=9f838d85ac7bd62eb10c1b6ea6b98340

Make stuffed giant pasta shells with a tomato sauce, can be scaled up for more people. Amazing.

todaysarahsays.com/stuffed-shells/

I get my conchiglione giant shells from Sainsbury's, Taste the Difference.

I've seen those giant pasta shapes in Morrisons. I think aimed at making you feel like Thumbelina in comparison when you cook them. They're great!

I agree with making a large bolognaise sauce - much easier to freeze leftovers too. You could also have a simple tomato based vegetable pasta sauce ready for any vegetarians. Prep any grated cheese beforehand the. All you need to do is cook the pasta.

So many of these sound delicious, especially that Greek gnocchi bake!

Thanks all, you may be right that prepping the sauce in advance and just cooking the pasta is the way to go. Even if I do that, I've got lots of pasta bake ideas to try!

I often make a bolognaise pasta bake in advance and cover with grated cheese not a cheese sauce. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

If you are making two then you can freeze the other if not needed. I’ve done that before and cooked from frozen.

Greek baked orzo is tomato based.
Lovely -and lots of possible ingredients from chicken to chickpeas, and you can use any green vegetables-well I do anyway.

My choices would be lasagne (vegetable or beef) and a carbonara inspired pancetta and mushroom bake (made with cream instead of eggs) or macaroni cheese with pancetta and a crispy breadcrumb topping.

Portuguese duck rice (you can use chicken instead), cottage/shepherds pie, any kind of casserole, are all fairly forgiving if they need to keep warm in the oven for a bit, possibly better than a pasta bake.

You can freeze fresh pasta so if you want to save a bit more time on the day you can buy that for quickness and freeze what you don't need.

Macarrones con Chorizo, not fancy but very tasty
Sautee onion , garlic and optional bacon
Add chorizo, some crumbled and some sliced, add finely chopped green pepper (optional) cook for few minutos, add a bit of tomato paste , canned tomtoes broken up or tomato puree ,dash of wine ( optional )salt and pepper and orégano, cook until sauce thickens.
Boil short pasta of choice in salted water and when done save some of the pasta wáter, mix pasta with tomato chorizo sauce and add a little of the pasta water if needed
Place in baking dish , (at this stage you can put a layer of white sauce or not)
Cover with a tasty grated cheese and finish cooking in oven until cheese melted and golden