I have to admit, even after years of culinary school and working in kitchens, pasta and rice are among those things I can still somehow get wrong. I either undercook it and then convince myself it needs another five minutes, or I get distracted doing something else, and suddenly I've overcooked the whole pot.

So dump-and-bake pasta is pretty much up my road. There's no pot of boiling water, no draining, and no second saucepan full of sauce. You put the pasta, the dry pasta, straight into the baking dish, add your sauce, stock, and whatever else you're using, and voila in the oven it goes. I love recipes like this for busy days because there's hardly any washing up either.

I can get dinner assembled in the morning and then put it in the oven just before dinner and then go off and do something else, usually involving Ben or the dogs. The trick is making sure there's enough liquid for the pasta to cook properly and giving it a stir when needed. But that's about it.

And I actually think these are much more forgiving than standing over a pot of pasta. You're not watching the clock, wondering if you've cooked it exactly for eight or ten minutes. It all cooks together. The pasta absorbs all those lovely flavors, and you end up with a proper delish dinner from one dish. So you and you end up with a proper dinner from one dish.

1) Cheesy Chicken Alfredo Dump-and-Bake Pasta

This is the sort of dinner I make when I want something that feels indulgent, and I'm really craving something creamy, but I really don't want to spend ages in the kitchen. Everything goes into the baking dish. Uncooked pasta, chicken Alfredo sauce, which is from a packet, stock, and plenty of cheese, and the oven does all the hard work.

I cut the chicken into fairly small, even pieces because it cooks at the same rate as the pasta. You don't want enormous chunks sitting there while the pasta is already cooked perfectly and your chicken is pink in the middle. I also make sure the pasta is properly covered by the liquid before it goes into the oven. I think that's probably the biggest trick here with dump-and-bake pasta. If you have dry pasta poking out above the liquid, those pieces are going to stay hard.

And then I'll stir it about halfway through. Then I finish with parmesan and mozzarella, so you get that awesome cheesy top. If you have some broccoli, spinach, or mushrooms that need using, throw that in. That's the kind of dinner I love. One dish and a fridge that looks slightly empty afterward.

2) Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

I love baked ziti, but normally you'd cook the pasta first, make your sauce, and then assemble everything. This version cuts out that whole step.

I put the dry ziti straight into the baking dish with the tomato stock, the tomato sauce, Italian sausages, and seasoning. The sausage is particularly good here because as it cooks, all those lovely flavors go into the sauce. I do like breaking the sausage up into fairly small pieces so you get it a bit in every mouthful.

And don't be tempted to skip on the liquid. The uncooked pasta needs it to cook, and it also thickens the sauce as it absorbs everything. Halfway through, it needs a really good stir, so make sure the pasta underneath comes up to the top and the pieces on top get covered in sauce. Then mozzarella and parmesan go over everything towards the end.

This is the one I make on a Sunday and deliberately make too much because leftovers are brilliant for lunch the next day.

3) Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta Bake

For this bake, I make my own tomato sauce because it's so easy and it tastes completely different than something that comes straight out of a jar. But if you have a jar, that's absolutely perfect too. I usually have way too many tomatoes that need using.

I cook onion and garlic, add the chopped tomatoes, a little tomato paste and herbs, and then let it simmer while I'm doing something else. You don't need to stand over it. Then the dried pasta goes straight into the baking dish with the tomato sauce, stock, and cream, and I add spinach towards the end so it doesn't completely disappear. I like using fresh spinach when I have it. But frozen works too. Just make sure you squeeze out all of that water first, because frozen spinach does have tons of excess water.

A little bit of parmesan through the sauce gives it much more flavor. If you've got mozzarella, put that on top because it gives you that beautiful bubbly finish. The thing I really like about this one is it tastes like you've made a proper tomato pasta sauce, but you've still only got one baking dish to wash.

4) Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Pasta Bake

This is a very easy family dinner, but I have one non-negotiable with the broccoli. Wash it properly. I don't know why, but crunchy little bits of grit hiding in broccoli completely ruin a meal for me.

I cut the broccoli into small florets, give it a really good wash, and then drain it properly before it goes anywhere near the casserole. The uncooked pasta goes into the dish with chicken stock, milk, cheddar, and seasoning. I like using mature cheddar because you get much more flavor without needing so much mountains and mountains of cheese. I put the broccoli in for the last part of the cooking rather than letting it bake for the entire time. I just prefer mine tender and still bright green.

And when I make it for Ben, I keep the seasoning quite simple. I've learned that if I make something too interesting for him, suddenly he isn't hungry anymore. Finish this with a little bit of parmesan or mozzarella over the top, and it gives you that lovely cheesy finish.

5) Taco-Inspired Beef Pasta Casserole

This recipe is originally made with beef, but I actually prefer making it with chicken. It's basically all the flavors of tacos turned into a pasta bake. Tomato, cumin, paprika, beans, corn, chicken, and cheese.

The great thing here is you can really make this your own. I'll sometimes use leftover cooked chicken, which makes it even quicker, and I'll throw in whatever veggies I have that need using. Because the pasta is going to get dry, I make sure there's plenty of tomato and stock around. The pasta absorbs all of those taco flavors as it cooks, which is exactly what you want.

I keep the base fairly mild for Ben, and then Roger and I add jalapeños or hot stuff afterward. And I love putting fresh avo, coriander, and lime over the top when it comes out. Let it cool, of course. It makes the whole thing taste much fresher.

6) One-Dish Pesto Chicken Pasta

When I make this pasta dish, I make my own pesto. I make mine with almonds instead of pine nuts because they're much more affordable, and I usually have them in the cupboard. It's so easy to make.

In a blender, add your fresh basil, which I've got lots of growing in the garden. Almonds: you can use toasted or untoasted, salted, or unsalted. Parmesan: You also don't have to use parmesan. You can use pecorino, fresh garlic, and then a good splash of olive oil and blitz that up, and there you go.

Then I use the pesto with uncooked pasta, chicken stock, and a little cream in the baking dish. The lemon in the pesto is important because you've got quite a rich combination going on with the chicken, cheese, and cream.

I also don't cook the chicken until it's completely done beforehand. It goes in raw in small pieces, so it cooks gently while the pasta does. When the pasta comes out, I'll loosen that pesto with a little bit of olive oil and spoon it over the top. It gives you that fresh basil flavor that can get lost during baking.

7) Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta Bake

This bake is a really good fridge cleaner for me because I often have homemade cream spinach sitting in there. And when I make cream spinach, I make a huge pot. I don't like freezing it because it doesn't freeze very well, so I keep it all in the fridge, and I eat it very fast because I don't want it to go off, so I like to use it in any dish that I can.

Rather than making a completely separate sauce, I loosen my cream spinach with a little stock or milk and use that as the pasta base. It saves time and makes the whole dish taste much more developed. And I like using different mushrooms here. I normally have button mushrooms, which are absolutely fine, but I always have a mixture of brown mushrooms, portobello, or even dried mushrooms in the cupboard. Dried mushrooms are so good because I soak them first and then add some of that soaking liquid to the sauce. You just get this lovely deep mushroom flavor.

The uncooked pasta goes straight into the dish with the creamy spinach sauce and enough stock to cook over it. I like adding parmesan or pecorino and a little bit of thyme, then letting the top get golden. This is also a great one for using up leftovers rather than throwing them away, which is something I'm always trying to do in my kitchen.

8) Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Bake

This bake is basically pizza but in pasta form. Dry pasta, tomato sauce, sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, and whatever pizza toppings everyone likes. Black olives, peppers- it all goes in.

Ben helps me when I make this. He loves it because it's like getting involved. And because we've got a bit of a joke when it comes to making it. Is it a pizza? Is it a pasta? I like adding peppers and mushrooms, but you can really use whatever you normally put on a pizza.

The trick is not putting all the cheese in at the beginning. Some goes into the sauce, and then I save plenty for the top, so you get that proper melted, stretchy pizza cheese finish. It's messy, cheesy, and definitely not fancy, but sometimes that's exactly what dinner needs to be. And Ben scoffs it down with absolutely no problem.

9) Lemon Parmesan Chicken Pasta Casserole

I make this lemon parmesan chicken pasta casserole on repeat because we have a huge lemon tree that gives us lots of lemons. So I'm always looking for a way to use them up.

The combination of lemon, parmesan, chicken, and pasta is so simple, but it works so well. Lemon keeps what could otherwise be quite a heavy, creamy pasta feeling fresh and light. I use both lemon zest and juice, but I don't go crazy with juice at the beginning. You can always add more at the end. Whereas you can't take it away.

The dry pasta goes into the baking dish with stock, chicken, cream, garlic, and parmesan. As it cooks, the pasta absorbs all those flavors. Absolutely delicious. Then when it comes out, add another squeeze of lemon and some grated parmesan. Fresh parsley and basil are lovely over the top.

And if you're using lemon straight from the garden as I do, give the skin a really good wash before zesting. There's nothing better than being able to walk outside, pick a lemon, and turn it straight into dinner.

10) Butternut Squash and Sage Pasta Bake

This is a lovely bake for when you want something a little bit different from tomato-based pasta. I use butternut squash with cream, parmesan, and sage, but the sage is where I think you can really make this dish shine. I don't just throw the sage leaves into the sauce. I fry them gently in butter first until they're crisp and the butter becomes beautifully sagey and fragrant.

That nutty sage butter gets stirred through the squash sauce and gives you so much more depth. Then the uncooked pasta goes straight into the baking dish with the sauce and enough stock to cook it. You want the butternut to become really soft, so it also melts into the sauce.

I like to actually roast a whole bunch of my chopped butternut with lots of garlic also. Then add it in. I like adding parmesan and mozzarella towards the end and letting the top go golden.

11) Tuscan White Bean and Tomato Pasta

I know what you're thinking. Beans and pasta sound like a lot of starch in one dish. But honestly, it works.

The beans give the pasta a lovely creamy texture and make it more filling. You don't need a huge amount of meat or cheese to make this feel like a proper dinner. I use cannellini beans, tomato, garlic, onion, herbs, and uncooked pasta. Then add my homemade stock and let everything cook together slowly. The beans actually help thicken the sauce as they cook, so I don't make the sauce overly thick at the beginning.

I like adding spinach towards the end and plenty of parmesan or pecorino over the top. If I've got fresh herbs in the garden, which I always do, this is where I'll use them. Oregano, basil, thyme- it all works here. And I think this is one of those dishes where you should taste before you add loads of salt. The parmesan and stock can already bring quite a bit of seasoning. It's inexpensive, filling, and surprisingly good for something that sounds so simple.

12) Buffalo Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

And we all love buffalo chicken, right? But I've learned from past experience with this one: if I make it too spicy, Ben takes one bite, tells me it's too hot, and suddenly he's not hungry. So I keep the buffalo sauce quite mild in the actual casserole and let Roger and me add more hot sauce at the table.

Chicken, uncooked pasta, buffalo sauce, stock, a little bit of cream or cream cheese, and cheese all go into this dish. The ranch flavor comes from the seasoning and a little dressing stirred in towards the end rather than baking all of it for ages.

I like using chicken breast here, but I cut it into fairly small, even pieces so it cooks at the same time as the pasta. And I definitely save some cheese for the top. When it comes out, I like adding a little bit of spring onion and a drizzle of ranch. It looks more appetizing with something fresh over the top.

It's a good example of a family meal where I make one mild base and then let the adults make it as spicy as they want.

13) Ham and Pea Cheesy Pasta Casserole

This is a great way to get peas into my son because normally peas are met with a very dramatic I don't like peas. But put them in a cheesy pasta bake with ham, though, and suddenly they're acceptable.

I like to use chopped chicken ham here, uncooked pasta, milk or stock, mature cheddar, and frozen peas, which I think everyone always has in their pantry and in their fridge. The peas don't need to be cooked first, so they also just literally go straight in.

And then I add a little bit of Dijon mustard to the cheese sauce because it gives it a bit more flavor without making it taste mustardy. This is another one where I make sure the sauce looks slightly too loose before it goes into the oven. The dry pasta absorbs a surprising amount of liquid here.

I usually add the peas towards the later part of cooking so that they stay bright and sweet rather than turning too grey. A little bit of parmesan and black pepper over the top is all this needs. And I'm always so pleased when Ben eats something green without giving me a hard time. It's always a winner.

14) Ravioli-Style Cheese Tortellini Bake

This is my cupboard-and-fridge dinner. I use the dried cheese tortellini you can keep in the cupboard, so there's no need to have fresh pasta sitting around waiting to be used. It's one of those things I make when I realize I've got very little planned for dinner, but I know I can pull something together.

I use tomato sauce, which is either in my freezer or already dry in a tin. Cream and mozzarella, then add whatever veggies I have, which is always spinach, mushrooms, green peppers if I've got them, or even leftover roasted veggies. The tortellini cooks directly in the sauce, so you get those little pockets of cheese throughout the dish without having to boil anything first.

I do make sure the tortellini is well covered with sauce because those little pieces of pasta sticking out the top can stay stubbornly hard. It's almost embarrassingly easy, but that's exactly why I like it. It's a sort of dinner you can throw together when you've got absolutely no cooking inspiration on a Sunday afternoon.

15) Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta Casserole

I love shrimp, so this is probably one of my favorites. But you have to be careful because shrimp can go from beautifully tender to rubbery very quickly. That's why I don't want to leave them baking for the entire time with the pasta here.

I'll get the pasta and creamy Cajun sauce cooking first. Then I add the shrimp towards the end so they only have enough time to cook through. Sometimes I don't even cook it through with the pasta, and I'll just quickly fry the shrimp up with some garlic, butter, and olive oil, salt, and pepper on the side, and then add it to the pasta once it's done.

Or you could put them on top of the pasta and let them cook gently in this and steam in the sauce. And then you can see exactly when they're done. I keep the Cajun seasoning quite mild because Ben is eating it, which he normally is because he loves shrimp, and then we add extra chili to our own portions.

I love garlic, parmesan, and a little bit of lemon in the sauce here. It just balances the spice and richness. I definitely serve this right away and don't let it sit around for ages, because you don't want the shrimp to overcook.

16) Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Pasta Bake

This dish starts with something I really love doing in the kitchen. Roasting peppers directly over an open flame. I like getting the skin properly blackened because that smoky flavor is what makes the peppers so good.

Once they're soft and charred, I put them in a bowl, cover them with some plastic for a few minutes, and then let them steam. The skin then peels off like a dream. It looks messy, but it is worth it. I then blend the roasted peppers with garlic, a little bit of cream or stock, and parmesan to make the sauce. You end up with this gorgeous sweet, smoky pasta sauce without needing lots of ingredients.

Then I add the chicken and uncooked pasta and let everything cook together in the oven. If they're a little bit bland, the sauce will be bland too. Finish it with some fresh basil, and you've got something that tastes much more complicated than it actually was.

This is exactly the sort of recipe I love. A few good ingredients, a little bit of effort where it matters, and then the oven does the rest of the work for you.

Keep reading

• 18 Easy Pasta Bakes for Busy Weeknights
• 35 One-Pot Pasta Dinners for Busy Weeknights
• 25 Dump-and-Bake Casserole Recipes for Busy Moms