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–+ servings
Overhead of baked penne.
Tara Noland

Three Cheese Baked Penne Recipe

This Three Cheese Pasta is creamy, comforting, and packed with fresh flavor. Tender penne is tossed in a rich ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cream sauce, then baked until golden and bubbly. Sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, fragrant basil, and softened fennel add brightness and depth to every cheesy bite.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8 Servings
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 597
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large fennel bulb
  • 16 ounces of penne pasta
  • 2 Tablespoons sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or crushed
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 16 ounces part-skim ricotta
  • 1 cup Parmesan freshly grated
  • 1 ½ cups mozzarella block freshly grated
  • ½ cup fresh basil chopped
  • 24-30 cherry tomatoes halved

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a 9x11-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
  2. Prepare the fennel by cutting off the top shoots and stalks, as well as the bottom root section. Wash and cut into sixths (top to bottom). Set aside.
  3. Fill a large pot with 5 quarts of water. Bring it to a boil and add 2 Tablespoons of sea salt. Pour in the pasta and then add the fennel pieces. Stir occasionally to keep pasta from sticking to the bottom.
  4. Boil both the pasta and the fennel for 5-8 minutes. Remove the fennel when it is tender and not mushy. Allow it to cool on a cutting board. Continue boiling the pasta until it reaches al dente, about 2-3 minutes less than the package indicates, for an approximate total of 10-11 minutes.
  5. When the pasta reaches al dente, remove 1 cup of the pasta/fennel water. Then drain the pasta, do not rinse, and set it aside.
  6. In the meantime, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet. Add garlic and cook for a maximum of a minute, watching that it does not burn. Immediately add the cream and simmer for 1-2 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
  7. Add all of the ricotta, all but ¼ cup of the grated parmesan, and all but ½ cup of the grated mozzarella. Set the reserved cheese aside to top the pasta before baking. Stir the mixture until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in the pasta.
  8. Slice each fennel piece in half (side to side) and into 2-3 slices, top to bottom, until they are bite-sized. Cut the tomatoes in half and roughly chop the fresh basil.
  9. Carefully fold all of the basil and fennel, plus two-thirds of the tomatoes, into the pasta. Pour it all into the baking dish. Arrange the remaining tomatoes on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with a fourth cup of the Parmesan and a half cup of the mozzarella.
  10. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until the cheese starts to brown. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with small basil leaves and freshly grated Parmesan, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 597kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 25gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 2206mgPotassium: 508mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1569IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 476mgIron: 2mg

Notes

See the post for more information, photos and tips. 

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