This post may contain affiliate links.
Creamy Baked Fettuccine With Cheese is a pasta lover’s dream! Tender pasta is tossed in a super creamy sauce, then baked until golden brown and crunchy on top. This is a side dish destined to be a favorite on the dinner table for years to come.
What’s the story with this recipe? Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. It’s like mac and cheese with an Italian vibe.
Brilliant, right? Well, I think so, and so did everyone around my dinner table the first time I served it. Baked Fettuccine With Cheese is a simple pasta casserole that goes well with just about any main dish. And if folks want to know what’s in it, just tell them it’s Italian mac and cheese…wink.
The inspiration for this dish comes from one of my family’s favorite recipes – Scalloped Potatoes. I used many of the sauce ingredients and pasta instead of potatoes. The result? Perfection.
Ingredients Needed For This Recipe
- Fettuccine Pasta
- Butter
- Flour
- Garlic
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- Half-And-Half
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Fresh Thyme
- Parsley
Recommended Tools To Make Baked Fettuccine With Cheese
- Kitchen Tongs – for tossing the pasta in the cheese sauce.
- Garlic Press – if you don’t like mincing garlic.
- Baking Dish – 11×7 rectangular dish or any 10-cup baking dish.
- Oven Mitts – a must for taking the casserole out of the oven.
How Do You Make Cheesy Baked Fettuccine?
This recipe is a comfort food masterpiece. Besides being delicious, it is also easy to make.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 8-10 minutes until al dente.
- While cooking pasta, make the sauce with butter, flour, chicken broth, and half-and-half.
- Turn down the heat and add cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Reserve a cup of the pasta cooking liquid, then drain the pasta.
- Mix the cheese sauce and cooked pasta, then pour into a buttered baking dish. Pour about ½ cup of the reserved cooking liquid around the edge of the pan.
- Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, bake, let rest for 5 minutes, then dig in!
Can I Use Other Pasta For This Recipe?
This recipe is very flexible, so you can use any type of pasta that you like.
Additions To This Recipe
Baked Fettuccine is a terrific backdrop for other ingredients. Here are a few of my favorites:
- mushrooms
- tomatoes
- cooked sausage
- spinach
- peppers
- cooked chicken
How Do You Keep Baked Pasta From Drying Out?
To keep the pasta from drying out while baking, pour about half a cup of reserved pasta water around the edge of the pasta before baking.
What To Serve With Baked Fettuccine With Cheese
- Crock Pot Chicken Thighs
- Cajun Garlic Shrimp
- BEST Homemade Meatballs
- Home-style Glazed Meatloaf
- Crock Pot Country Style Ribs
Can This Casserole Be Made Ahead Of Time?
You bet! Creamy Baked Fettuccine is a great make-ahead side or main dish. Make it per the instructions up until baking, then cover with foil and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Uncover and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
How To Store Baked Fettuccine
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Craving More Pasta Recipes? Try These!
- Out Of This World Baked Spaghetti
- Rotel Chicken Spaghetti
- Chicken Alfredo Casserole
- Skillet Chicken Spaghetti
- Spaghetti Salad
- Pasta Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 pound box fettuccine
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2-3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley – optional
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 7X11 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta for 8-9 minutes until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking liquid. Drain pasta.
- While pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Melt butter in a large pan. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly pour in the broth and half-and-half, and cook until thick. Add in the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan. Add in the thyme and pepper. Taste and add salt if needed.
- Add the cooked fettuccine and toss together. Transfer the pasta to the prepared dish. Drizzle the reserved pasta water around the noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, then bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and golden brown on the top.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
Want more?
Then grab my Ebook!
1 Week of Family Favorite Menus
7 menus, 29 recipes, 41 pages, tons of tips!
Ideas, recipes, and strategies to make easy meals loaded with flavor. Each of these recipes is affordable and simple to prepare using common ingredients.
Subscribe So You Never Miss A Menu
FREE Email Bonus: Get ready for your tastiest fall ever
Hi Donya!
Thank you for this recipe. Yesterday, my kids asked me to make BBQ ribs (I buy them semi prepped) with homemade mac n’ cheese. Problem was, when I went to get the macaroni, I didn’t have any, just fettucine. I searched up a recipe for cheesy baked fettucine and found yours. Lucky me! I got it all together while the ribs were baking. (Made a few changes: I didn’t have broth, but I added some leftover baked chicken drippings I keep in the freezer. I didn’t have half and half, but I had some tetra pak cream I had. (I live abroad), and I added a pinch of nutmeg in the sauce and a sprinkling of panko on top before toasting in the oven.) The dish slid into the oven text to the almost-ready ribs and everything was done at the same time. Served the ribs and cheesy baked fettucine with brocolli and cauliflower florets. This recipe is easy and delicious! My family loved it. Will try the sauce with potatoes, as you mentioned. Thank you very much!
Hey there Anna Marie!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that you found your way to my corner of the internet, welcome to the Southern Soul family! It sounds like you made an absolutely incredible meal, using chicken drippings and adding nutmeg was a genius idea, I bet that gave the dish wonderful flavors. You mentioned wanting to try this sauce with potatoes, which is a great idea, but I think you might also like my Easy Scalloped Potatoes recipe, it’s super simple to prepare and just as creamy and delicious. Thank you so very much for your kind words and your fabulous rating, I really appreciate your support! Let me know if you ever have any questions about a dish, I’m always happy to help where I can!
~Donya
Sounds wonderful. I think I might try adding some chicken to it and make it an entrée
Hey there Deb!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and for your wonderful rating, I am so happy to hear that you’re giving this recipe a try! One of the best parts of this recipe is that it’s a blank canvas for whatever protein you want to make, you can easily turn it into an entrée by adding chicken, shrimp, or even a fish like salmon. I really hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
How much half & half?
Hey there Sharon!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, it is comfort food at it’s finest so I hope you’ll give it a try! If you go to the recipe post and click the ‘Jump To Recipe’ button at the top of the page, it’ll take you down to the bottom of the post where there is a recipe card with the full list of ingredient measurements and instructions. I hope this is helpful, let me know how everything turns out if you give it a try!
~Donya
How much half and half do you use? I don’t see it listed. Thank you
I’m so sorry, Carol! I’ve updated the recipe card so everything is correct. You’ll need 1 cup of half-and-half.
Thank you so much for your keen eye and kindness.
Let me know if you make the recipe!
~Donya
Hi Donya,
How much half and half is in this recipe?
thanks,
Jan
Thanks for reaching out, Jan! I’ve updated the recipe card so everything is correct, now. You’ll need 1 cup of half-and-half.
I appreciate your patience, and thanks for following.
Have a great weekend,
~Donya