This is my May Evening Easy Bake: a cozy, creamy, 3-ingredient dinner I lean on when the day’s been long and everyone’s still expecting something that tastes special. It bakes up in one round dish, gets beautifully browned and a little charred around the edges, and comes out bubbling and steamy like you fussed all afternoon—when really you just stirred a few things together and let the oven do the work. It’s very Midwest in spirit: simple pantry staples, comforting, and meant to be shared at the table with people you love.
I like to serve this creamy bake with a simple green salad (romaine or mixed greens with a light vinaigrette) to balance the richness. Warm crusty bread, garlic toast, or even buttered dinner rolls are perfect for scooping up the sauce around the edges. Steamed green beans, roasted broccoli, or peas on the side make it feel like a full meal without adding much work. If you’re feeding hungry teens, put out a bowl of grapes or apple slices and maybe a little extra grated Parmesan so everyone can sprinkle more on top at the table.
3-Ingredient May Evening Easy BakeServings: 4
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked short pasta (such as penne, rotini, or shells)
2 cups heavy cream
1 heaping cup shredded Parmesan cheese (plus a small handful extra for the top, optional but from the same cup if you pack it well)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a round ceramic baking dish (about 9 inches across) with a dab of oil or butter if you like, just to help with cleanup.
Add the uncooked pasta directly into the baking dish and spread it into an even layer so it’s mostly in a single layer, with just a bit of overlap. This helps it cook more evenly and lets some pieces catch a little color on top.
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream and shredded Parmesan cheese until the cheese is evenly distributed. It will be thick and a bit lumpy, and that’s fine—the cheese will melt as it bakes.
Pour the cream and cheese mixture evenly over the pasta in the baking dish, nudging the pasta with a spoon so the cream can seep down and coat as much as possible. The pasta should be just about covered; if a few pieces poke up, they’ll get nicely browned and a little charred.
If you packed your cheese cup generously, pull out a small handful and sprinkle it over the top for an extra cheesy crust. This helps create that glistening, golden, slightly charred surface that looks so pretty coming out of the oven.
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place it on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake covered for 25 minutes to let the pasta soften in the creamy sauce without drying out.
After 25 minutes, carefully remove the foil (watch for hot steam). Give the pasta a gentle stir from the edges toward the center to help any drier pieces mix into the sauce, then smooth it back into an even layer.
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the cream is bubbling, the pasta is tender when you poke a piece with a fork, and the top is deeply golden with some browned, slightly charred edges.
If you want a bit more char on top, you can switch the oven to broil for 1–3 minutes at the end. Watch it closely so it doesn’t burn; you’re aiming for dark golden brown spots and lightly crisp edges.
Let the dish rest on the counter for about 5–10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, and the steam will settle so it’s safer to scoop. Serve straight from the baking dish while it’s still warm and creamy.
Variations & Tips
You can easily tweak this simple bake to fit your family. For picky eaters, use a familiar pasta shape like small shells or elbow macaroni and go a little lighter on the browned top by covering it loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes if they’re nervous about dark spots. If you’d like a bit more flavor without adding more ingredients, choose a sharper Parmesan or a good aged hard cheese, and season at the table with salt, black pepper, or a pinch of Italian seasoning. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use half-and-half, but the sauce will be slightly thinner and you may want to reduce the baking time by a few minutes so it doesn’t overcook. To stretch this for a bigger family, serve it over steamed broccoli or toss in a bowl with some cooked chicken or ham on the side (keeping the main recipe itself at three ingredients). For a little texture, you can tuck a few extra pieces of pasta up on top before the final bake so they crisp and char. Food safety tips: Always handle the hot baking dish with oven mitts and keep kids back when you remove the foil, as the steam can be very hot. Make sure the pasta is cooked to a safe, tender texture before serving—if it still feels too firm, cover loosely with foil and bake a few minutes more. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of baking in a shallow container, and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot before eating.
