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Your Cheese Grater Isn’t Living Its Best Life Without These 17 Pasta Bakes

Let’s be real: your cheese grater can do so much more than sit in the drawer waiting for taco night. Picture it: 17 different pasta bakes and that grater isn’t seeing any of the action? It’s time to bring it into the game and show it what it’s really capable of. Think of this list as the kitchen hero that’s about to shine.

A close-up of a dish featuring colorful tortellini mixed with meatballs, spinach, and chopped red bell peppers, topped with melted cheese, served in a white bowl.
Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Pasta e Fagioli Soup in 2 bowls with spoons.
Pasta e Fagioli Soup. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Imagine your cheese grater finally getting a taste of true Italian comfort with Pasta e Fagioli Soup. This hearty soup is a canvas waiting for that finishing touch of freshly grated cheese to make it sing. It’s not just soup; it’s a cozy hug in a bowl, upgraded by the magic touch of beans.
Get the Recipe: Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Smoked Shotgun Shells

Smoked shotgun shells on a white plate.
Smoked Shotgun Shells. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

If there’s ever a time to bring out the big guns, it’s for Smoked Shotgun Shells. Your cheese grater gets to play a pivotal role, sprinkling the perfect amount of cheese over each shell, transforming this dish from good to unforgettable. It’s the kind of meal that’s bound to impress, with each bite packed with smokiness.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Shotgun Shells

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Two Chicken Gnocchi Soup copycat soup recipes on a table.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

A bowl of Chicken Gnocchi Soup becomes a work of art when your cheese grater steps in. It adds that essential layer of warmth and comfort, turning a simple soup into an exquisite experience. As the cheese melts into the tender gnocchi and savory broth, it’s a match made in heaven.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Steak & Pasta Salad

A black bowl filled with a pasta salad containing farfalle, steak slices, radishes, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, nuts, and crumbled blue cheese, garnished with parsley, on a wooden board next to a spoon.
Steak & Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Steak & Pasta Salad reaches new heights when your cheese grater gets in on the action. Its role? To add those perfect cheese shavings that mingle with the succulent pieces of steak and fresh pasta. This dish is all about bold flavors and fresh textures, and that final cheese topping is the cherry on top.
Get the Recipe: Steak & Pasta Salad

Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken

Kale and tortellini soup in a bowl on a wooden table.
Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

The soul-soothing warmth of Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken is incomplete without your trusty cheese grater. As the kale and chicken provide a hearty base, the gratings of cheese melt seamlessly into the broth, creating a layer of richness that’s simply irreplaceable. This soup is truly a food for the soul.
Get the Recipe: Tortellini Soup with Kale & Chicken

Salmon Pasta Salad

Salmon pasta salad in a black dish.
Salmon Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Salmon Pasta Salad becomes the ultimate fusion of flavors and textures with a little help from your cheese grater. As the fresh, flaky salmon meets the crisp pasta, it’s the cheese that ties everything together, thanks to a few turns of the grater. This salad is about contrasts—rich salmon and fresh greens.
Get the Recipe: Salmon Pasta Salad

Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce

Gnocchi in Lemon-Parmesan Sauce on a black plate.
Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Put Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce in the spotlight tonight. By including the lemon and grating the Parmesan, it brings a brightness and depth of flavor that bottled cheese just can’t match. This dish is a dance of textures and tastes, with your grater ensuring every forkful is perfectly balanced.
Get the Recipe: Gnocchi with Lemon-Parmesan Sauce

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken cordon bleu casserole on a black plate with a fork.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

The classic charm of Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole relies heavily on your cheese grater’s contribution. By blending into the rich layers of chicken, ham, and sauce, the grated cheese creates a golden, bubbling crust that’s visually stunning. This dish is a cozy, comforting bake that you shouldn’t miss.
Get the Recipe: Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Pesto Orzo Salad

Orzo salad resting on a dark plate.
Pesto Orzo Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Fresh and vibrant, Pesto Orzo Salad is practically a love letter to your cheese grater. It relies on the subtle but significant touch of freshly grated cheese to balance the bold flavors of pesto and the soft textures of orzo. This salad is a celebration of freshness, with your grater playing a key role.
Get the Recipe: Pesto Orzo Salad

Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce

A bowl of pasta with cherry tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, and garlic.
Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce’s simplicity is taken to new heights with just a bit of help from your cheese grater. As the tomatoes simmer down into a savory sauce, it’s the grated cheese that adds the final touch of magic. This dish is a testament to the power of fresh ingredients.
Get the Recipe: Pasta with Fresh Cherry Tomato Sauce

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

A hand holding a spoonful of creamy chicken noodle soup with vegetables over a bowl, accompanied by slices of bread on a plate.
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. Photo credit: Dinner by Six.

Get a dose of luxury with Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup. As you shower the soup with finely grated cheese, it transforms classic comfort food into a gourmet experience. The warmth of the soup melts the cheese gently, creating a texture and flavor that’s irresistibly comforting.
Get the Recipe: Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

A bowl of Mediterranean orzo salad on a black plate.
Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

A trip to the Mediterranean is just a dish away with Meditaneous Orzo Salad with Shrimp. Here, your cheese grater is the hero who brings a flair to the salad with its cheese contributions. Combining the freshness of the sea with the vibrancy of a salad, the grated cheese binds all the flavors together.
Get the Recipe: Mediterranean Orzo Salad with Shrimp

Copycat Il Fornaio Rigatoni Alla Vodka

A white bowl of rigatoni pasta with creamy sauce, garnished with cheese and green herbs, is placed on a wooden surface. A hand is holding a fork with a piece of pasta.
Copycat Il Fornaio Rigatoni Alla Vodka. Photo credit: Dinner by Six.

Want a restaurant-quality dish? Copycat Il Fornaio Rigatoni Alla Vodka has got you covered. This dish is all about the rich, creamy sauce, and the grated cheese is the pièce de résistance that ties everything together. It’s a meal that brings the restaurant experience home—luxury on a fork.
Get the Recipe: Copycat Il Fornaio Rigatoni Alla Vodka

Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

A black bowl filled with rotisserie chicken pasta salad.
Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

With Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad, bite into something extraordinary. Tossed together with chunks of chicken, fresh veggies, and pasta, it’s the grated cheese that melds these flavors into harmony. This salad turns a simple rotisserie chicken into an exciting meal that’s as filling as it is flavorful.
Get the Recipe: Rotisserie Chicken Pasta Salad

Sloppy Joe Casserole

A serving of Sloppy Joe Casserole pasta with meat on a plate with a fork.
Sloppy Joe Casserole. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Sloppy Joe Casserole turns a classic into a novel experience. As the meaty, savory filling finds its home between layers of pasta, it’s the cheese that crowns this creation, melted and golden. This dish is all about comfort, with a cheesy twist that upgrades it from simple to simply amazing.
Get the Recipe: Sloppy Joe Casserole

Greek Spaghetti

A bowl of pasta with tomatoes, feta and kalamata olives.
Greek Spaghetti. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Need a fusion of flavors? Try this Greek Spaghetti. With each strand of spaghetti being a carrier for the flavorsome combination of ingredients, it’s the cheese that unifies everything. This dish brings a taste of Greece to your kitchen, with your grater ensuring that every bite is as delicious as it is unique.
Get the Recipe: Greek Spaghetti

Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs

A close-up of a dish featuring colorful tortellini mixed with meatballs, spinach, and chopped red bell peppers, topped with melted cheese, served in a white bowl.
Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs. Photo credit: Cook What You Love.

Last but not least, Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs is a dish to remember. As the tender tortellini and savory meatballs come together, it’s the shower of grated cheese that completes the masterpiece. This dish is a hearty, filling meal that’s sure to satisfy any craving. Enjoy this comforting dish to its full glory!
Get the Recipe: Blackstone Tortellini with Meatballs

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