Cream Cheese Pasta Bake

American  |  Published Mar 15, 2021  |  Updated Mar 15, 2021  |  By Tawnie

pasta in a white casserole dish

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!

ingredients needed to make a pasta bake
  • 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:

  1. Grab an oven safe casserole dish.
  2. Add the tomatoes, onion, sun dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and seasonings to the dish. Stir to combine.
  3. Add the block of cream cheese to the center of the dish.
  4. Bake uncovered for 35-40 min.
  5. Remove from oven, smash tomatoes down with a spoon and stir the cream cheese to create a sauce.
  6. 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.

Have you made the viral TikTok pasta yet?

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest or InstagramSign up for my email list, too!

pasta in a white casserole dish
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Cream Cheese Pasta Bake

This Cream Cheese Pasta Bake is a simple recipe made by oven roasting a block of cream cheese with cherry tomatoes and a few other basic ingredients to create a creamy, flavorful sauce!
4.77 from 105 reviews
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 580kcal

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

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.

Video

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. 
Find Kroll’s Korner on Instagram!Mention @krolls_korner or tag #krollskorner

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 131mg | Iron: 4mg

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31 Comments
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Mona Rocha
1 year ago

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!!

Nancy Murphy
7 months ago

Another winner Tawnie! Made it a few days ago and it was a huge hit ! Delish and making again ASAP! Thank you!!!

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Jamie
10 months ago

So easy and so yummy!! I’ve had it with spaghetti squash “noodles” and it is so good! Thanks for the fantastic recipe!

Jess
11 months ago

Incredible! Thank you for a fabulous recipe, Tawnie! Putting the tomato and onion mixture in the oven for 30-40 minutes makes all the difference in the world! Will definitely be saving this!

Samantha
1 year ago

Turned out great! Used feta brick / sour cream mixture instead of cream cheese because that’s all we had on hand.. used spiral pasta!

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breanna
1 year ago

Really good would definitely use a heavier had with seasonings especially if eating without a protein.

Ann
1 year ago

Can this be made the day before? Family coming for a birthday. Want to have everything ready & want to be rested. Thanks Ann

Mary Jo
1 year ago

This looked too good NOT to try. So easy. I used shallots minced (instead of onion) and added chopped smoked chicken. We loved it both the first and second days!!!

Emily
1 year ago

This was very good! I am keeping this one in my recipe book for sure!

Lauren
1 year ago

This was so easy to make & SO good! I’ve been wanting to make it for awhile now & finally did. Will definitely be doing again soon.

Annette
1 year ago

I doubled the recipe. I used shallots instead of the white onion. I used 3 oz pkg of sun dried tomatoes. I had a hard time finding cherry tomatoes so I had to use 2 different brands of grape tomatoes (1 brand was 1.5 lbs and 1 was 1 lbs) I used all of them both. I left my garlic cloves whole. I smashed them up when I smashed the tomatoes. I used a little more olive oil due to the extra tomatoes.l I also used garden rotini pasta (my autistic child likes them). Other than that I went with the recipe. I baked my doubled “sauce” in a 9×13 glass dish for a total time of 60 minutes. I used a hand mixer to blend everything up. I wish I would have added the spinach during cooking, maybe 10 minutes before finished. I didn’t like the texture of the spinach just added before the noodles.

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