11 Baked Pasta Dinners, Cheapest First
Eleven baked pasta dinners — ziti, lasagna, stuffed shells, mac and cheese, pasta bakes — ranked by estimated cost per serving, with protein and time.
A baked pasta is the only dinner that gets easier as it gets bigger. One pan, one oven, and the leftovers are the point — which is why this is the format to reach for the first cold week of the year. Cheapest first below, because the difference between the top and bottom of this list is about $1.60 a serving for roughly the same amount of work.
Anychef catalog data: 41 baked pasta dinners in our library, median $2.20 a serving and 45 minutes. Eleven come in under $2, 21 carry 30g+ of protein, and 16 are meatless. Costs are per-serving estimates, not measured prices.
The list
1. Stuffed Shells
26g protein540 cal$1.90/serving60 min
Jumbo pasta shells packed with creamy three-cheese filling and baked bubbly under marinara, the make-ahead dinner everyone cheers for.
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2. Bacon Mac and Cheese
27g protein680 cal$2.00/serving30 min
Smoky bacon folded into extra-sharp stovetop mac, the upgrade nobody has ever complained about.
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3. Baked Tomato Basil Orzo
16g protein380 cal$2.10/serving35 min
Creamy pasta swirled with fresh basil and roasted tomatoes, baked until bubbly in a cast iron skillet.
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4. Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
26g protein520 cal$2.10/serving60 min
Lasagna noodles rolled around a creamy spinach ricotta filling and baked in marinara until bubbly and golden.
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5. Baked Ziti with Spinach
19g protein445 cal$2.20/serving40 min
Tender pasta smothered in marinara and ricotta sauce, layered with spinach and three cheeses.
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6. Baked Feta & Tomato Pasta
14g protein420 cal$2.30/serving30 min
Soft, creamy feta baked with cherry tomatoes creates a warm sauce that coats pasta in luxurious simplicity.
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7. Cheesy Squash and Pasta Bake
18g protein480 cal$2.30/serving45 min
Roasted butternut squash tossed with penne, sage, and a velvety cheese sauce, baked until golden.
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8. Chicken Broccoli Ziti
42g protein640 cal$2.60/serving35 min
The Boston pizzeria staple of juicy chicken, tender broccoli, and ziti tossed in garlicky parmesan butter sauce.
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9. Sausage and Veggie Pasta Bake
35g protein540 cal$3.00/serving50 min
Hearty sausage and roasted vegetables baked into a cheesy pasta casserole that reheats beautifully from meal prep boxes.
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10. White Chicken Lasagna
44g protein700 cal$3.00/serving80 min
Layers of noodles, shredded chicken, spinach, and creamy parmesan sauce baked into a golden, bubbling twist on the classic.
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11. Baked Chicken Piccata with Pasta
38g protein480 cal$3.50/serving40 min
Tender chicken breasts in a bright lemon-caper pan sauce, baked until silky and spooned over fresh pasta for an elegant weeknight meal.
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Every recipe above comes from the Anychef library of 1,700+ recipes, each with cost per serving and full macros — browse every pasta recipe and the comfort food collection. Or skip the browsing entirely: scan your fridge with the Anychef app and get recipes built from what you already have, macros and grocery list included.
