Cream Cheese Pasta Bake
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This Cream Cheese Pasta Bake is a spin off of the Baked Feta Pasta that went viral on TikTok in early February 2021!
I am usually not one for trends or even trying out recipes seen on TikTok, but this one I had to try and make my own version.
I am a huge fan of feta cheese, I love it in salads and even on egg dishes too. But, my hubby isn’t too fond of feta so I made this pasta bake with cream cheese instead and it did not disappoint!
Ingredients you will need:
With just a few simple ingredients you’ll be able to whip up this delicious weeknight meal and I know you’ll be as obsessed with it as we are!
- Cherry Tomatoes: cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes work best for this recipe.
- White onion: I love the flavor that onion adds to this dish. Yellow onion works fine too!
- Sun dried tomatoes: adding in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes gives this dish a tuscan feel. I usually add in some of the oil from the jar that the sun dried tomatoes are in too for a boost of flavor!
- Olive oil: opt for a good quality olive oil. The olive oil coats all of the ingredients and helps prevent anything from sticking to the casserole dish.
- Seasonings: Garlic, Italian seasoning, Salt & pepper. Feel free to play around with other seasonings you’d like to add like oregano, thyme, roasted garlic, etc.
- Cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese is what I use, but a reduced fat cream cheese will do the job too!
- Fresh spinach: stir in the fresh spinach at the end. It will wilt right into the warm dish!
- Basil: to garnish
- Pasta: I used mini bow tie pasta noodles, but you can use any pasta shape you prefer! Pick your favorite shape and switch it up for fun!
Step by Step Directions
It’s really so EASY you guys. I could almost do it in my sleep! Here’s the low down:
- Grab an oven safe casserole dish.
- Add the tomatoes, onion, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and seasonings to the dish. Stir to combine.
- Add the block of cream cheese to the center of the dish.
- Bake uncovered for 35-40 min.
- Remove from oven, smash tomatoes down with a spoon and stir the cream cheese to create a sauce.
- Stir in spinach and cooked pasta. Serve immediately & enjoy.
Tips and FAQs
- Add a protein! We love this with chicken or even chicken sausage. It would be delicious with shrimp, salmon, or tofu too!
- Use your favorite pasta shape: Linguine, bow tie, penne, spaghetti, etc. The options are endless!
- Add in more veggies: Mushrooms, bell peppers and asparagus are yummy options. Swap out the spinach with another green like kale!
- Can I make it with another type of cheese? I haven’t tested this recipe with another type of cheese but of course feta cheese is an option. Goat cheese may work too.
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Cream Cheese Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 20 oz. cherry tomatoes (2 pints)
- 1/2 small white onion, minced
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach, gently torn
- basil (optional garnish)
- 8 oz. pasta of choice, cooked
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pour the cherry tomatoes, onions, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into an oven safe casserole dish. Stir to combine.
- Place the cream cheese in the center.
- Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes. (Bake until the cheese is golden and looks like it's about to fall apart).
- Meanwhile, cook pasta of choice according to package directions.
- Remove the casserole dish from the oven. Smash the tomatoes down using a spoon and stir the cream cheese until it creates a sauce.
- Stir in the spinach until wilted and then stir in cooked pasta noodles. Serve immediately and garnish with basil. Taste and adjust add more salt or pepper as desired.
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Notes
- Storage: Allow pasta dish to cool then transfer to an air tight container. Store in fridge for 3-4 days.
- Add a protein of choice to make this a more satisfying meal! Chicken, bacon, grilled shrimp, salmon, steak, tofu, etc.
- Use any pasta shape you prefer.
- Make sure the sun dried tomatoes are mixed in the dish to prevent them from burning.
AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!!! I doubled the recipe and tripled the spices ( I love lots of flavor) added deli chicken and fresh garlic bread and everyone loved it!!! THANK YOU!!
Hi Mona! OMG that sounds amazing. Thank you so much for making!! Glad you loved it. xo, Tawnie
I thought it was delicious. I needed probably twice the tomatoes I had. I think it would have given more volume and a bit more moist. I have zero kitchen savvy and I appreciate how easy the recipe was to follow. Thanks!
More tomatoes is always a good idea:) thank you for making it!!
I forgot the olive oil & forgot to buy spinach. My family is so dang picky. I was really worried they wouldn’t eat this because onions, or tomato skins (or chunks) would exist. This dish is phenomenal!! No more spaghetti in this house, it’s cream cheese pasta bake from here on out. We all devoured it!! I used more sun dried tomatoes and used about a quarter cup of fresh basil since I forgot the spinach. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!! Fantastic.
I am sooo glad! It’s always a good thing when the whole family can agree on something 🙂 thank you soo much!
Not really a fan of this recipe. It’s just too thick. I ended up adding some port wine to thin it out a bit, but some chicken broth would have also worked well.
sorry to hear that! it’s def more on the creamy side than a thin sauce. love the wine and chicken broth ideas to thin it out!
Incredible! I just made this tonight for dinner, using vegan cream cheese & it turned out delicious. Thank you for a fabulous dinner! Xoxo.
I am so glad a vegan cream cheese worked out well for you! Thanks so much for making:) xo, Tawnie
I’m so glad I found this recipe!! I altered it by adding a dollop of goat cheese and some sausage and let me just say wow. It tastes phenomenal!!
Aw I am so glad Desiree, thank you so much! I love the goat cheese/sausage addition. I gotta try that next time I make it. mmmm! xo, Tawnie
Can you let me know the best way to freeze the leftovers. Made a double recipe. Fabulous! But would like to freeze some.
Beverlylusso@gmail.com
I haven’t personally tried freezing this pasta, but if I did, I would let it cool completely, transfer to airtight containers or freezer bags making sure the container is sealed and secure and freeze for up to 3 months. xo
This recipe is SO good! So flavorful and so easy to put together! We did a few small modifications to recipe—no sun dried tomatoes, instead of Italian seasoning we did 1/4 tsp of each basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and instead of bow ties we did protein plain penne. We paired with chicken sausage and it was amazing!! Honestly, any kind of protein would be amazing with this dish. The flavor profile is incredible. The whole family loved it! My husband kept saying “woah, this is restaurant quality!” Needless to say we’ll be making it again!
Moira – you are so so kind. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the kind review! xo, Tawnie
This was so delicious! Great way to use up my garden goodness… had so many gorgeous tomatoes and was looking for a tomato recipe and this fit the bill can’t wait to make it again!
Aw I am so glad, thank you so much Christine! xo, Tawnie
Another winner Tawnie! Made it a few days ago and it was a huge hit ! Delish and making again ASAP! Thank you!!!
Hi Nancy! That looks incredibly delicious 🙂 So glad you enjoyed!! Thanks so much! xo, Tawnie
So easy and so yummy!! I’ve had it with spaghetti squash “noodles” and it is so good! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
That sounds so delicious. You are welcome!! xo, Tawnie