Made with minimal ingredients, this quick and easy no-boil pasta bake turns pantry staples into a delicious dinner that makes great leftovers too.
If you’re looking for a one-pan meal with minimal prep and minimal clean-up, look no further than this no-boil pasta bake! This dump-and-bake recipe is perfect for busy weeknights when you need to get something on the dinner table in a pinch without boiling pasta or cleaning multiple pots and pans.
This no-boil pasta casserole can be enjoyed on its own as a healthy vegetarian meal or paired with grilled chicken, steak, or fish and a green salad to create a simple crowd-pleasing feast that will make the whole family happy.
Why You’ll Love It
- Made in One Dish – Made in a single casserole dish, this recipe ensures prep and clean-up are minimal.
- Minimal Ingredients – This no-boil pasta bake is made with only 10 ingredients.
- Vegetarian – This recipe is filled with almost 20 grams of vegetarian protein for everyone to enjoy.
- Stores Well – This baked pasta is a great make-ahead meal as it keeps well in the fridge and freezer.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Pasta – I used fusilli pasta for my recipe, but you can use any short-cut pasta shape, such as ziti, penne, cavatappi, or farfalle.
- Marinara Sauce – To make the pasta sauce. The recipe calls for a jar of plain marinara sauce, but you use any jar of your favorite store-bought pasta sauce.
- Ricotta Cheese – To add a bit of protein and make the pasta bake creamy. If you don’t like ricotta, cream cheese or heavy cream will also work.
- Spinach – To add some greens. You can use fresh or frozen, see the notes section of the recipe card for details, or omit it completely if you prefer.
- Mozzarella Cheese – For topping, shredded cheddar cheese would also work well.
- Parmesan Cheese – For topping and to add a bit more protein.
- Onion and Garlic – To add flavor and fragrance. The recipe calls for onion powder and garlic powder, but you can use fresh onion and garlic if needed. See the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Italian Seasoning – To add flavor to the sauce. If using a flavored pasta sauce, you can omit it.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
- Fresh Basil – To serve, fresh parsley will also work.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta.
To make it Dairy-Free: Swap the ricotta cheese for coconut milk and omit the mozzarella and parmesan topping.
To Increase the Protein Content: Add 1 pound of cooked ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or sausage to the pasta mixture before baking.
How to Make a No-Boil Pasta Bake
- Mix the pasta and sauce. In a large casserole dish, add marinara sauce, ricotta, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, and stir to combine.
- Bake until al dente. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, transfer it to an oven at 400°F, and bake for 40-45 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Top with mozzarella. Remove the foil, add shredded mozzarella, and bake for 5-10 minutes until golden.
- Serve and enjoy! Once cooked, allow the pasta to bake to cool for 5 minutes, then serve with fresh basil on top.
You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
Consider this recipe a friendly reminder that meals don’t need to be complicated or time-consuming to be healthy! There are plenty of minimally processed foods, such as marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and chicken broth, that you can find in grocery stores that are nutrient-dense and can help to cut down on prep and cooking time.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is a good source of complex carbohydrates and fat, with moderate levels of protein and fiber. To make it a more balanced meal, you can serve it with an additional source of protein and vegetables, such as:
- Chicken + Broccoli
- Steak + Green Salad
- Shrimp + Zucchini
- Salmon + Green Beans
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the pasta bake to cool completely, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or transfer it to an airtight container, and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: To freeze whole, allow the pasta bake to cool completely then cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, place it in a freezer-safe bag, and place it in the freezer. To freeze leftovers, transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: From the fridge, transfer the whole pasta bake, covered, in the oven at 350°F for 20-30 minutes until heated through and bubbling. Individual portions can be reheated in an oven-safe casserole dish at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. If frozen, allow the pasta bake to thaw completely and then reheat at 350°F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. To reheat from frozen, cover the baking dish with foil and warm it in the oven at 350°F for 40-50 minutes until heated through.
More Baked Pasta Recipes:
Print
No-Boil Pasta Bake
Made in one pan, this no-boil pasta bake is a quick, easy, and healthy vegetarian recipe that is perfect for a busy weeknight. Serve it on its own or with a green salad for a well-balanced meal.
-
Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 45 minutes
-
Total Time: 55 minutes
-
Yield: 6 servings 1x
-
Category: Dinner
-
Method: Baked
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta, such as fusilli or penne
- 1 jar (24 oz.) marinara sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup spinach, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (optional)
- Parmesan, to serve
- Fresh basil, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 400°F and grab a 9×13-inch or similar-sized baking dish.
- Add the marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, spinach, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to the baking dish, and gently stir until combined. Add the water and stir again to combine.
- Dump the uncooked pasta into the baking dish and gently stir until well mixed and all the pasta is submerged in the liquid mixture.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (do not skip this step!), ensuring it’s sealed tightly, transfer it to the oven, and bake for 40-45 minutes until the pasta is tender and cooked to al dente. Remove the foil and, using a large spoon or spatula, give everything a good stir.
- Optional: Top the baking dish with shredded mozzarella and then return to the oven to bake, uncovered, for a final 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Once baked, remove it from the oven, allow it to cool for 5 minutes, and then serve with chopped basil, and grated parmesan, and season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Use Fresh Onion: Swap the onion powder for 1 medium onion diced.
To Use Fresh Garlic: Swap the garlic powder for 4 cloves of garlic minced.
To Use Frozen Spinach: Thaw 1/4 cup of frozen spinach, press out as much water as possible, and add it to the recipe as per step #2.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 426 calories
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Fat: 8 grams
- Carbohydrates: 67 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 19 grams
I love all of your recipes. They are easy to follow and so delish!
Thank you so much, Janelle!
Made this recipe recently. Didn’t change a thing. Definitely will be added to our rotation of weeknight dinners.
Happy you enjoyed it, Josefa!
Very tasty and easy!! The only thing I will do the next time I make is add more garlic and fresh minced. Other than that I love how quick to put together.
Thank you so much for sharing, Melissa!
This recipe is so simple and the flavor is fantastic! I’ve made this with red sauce and with a white cream sauce and it came out perfectly both ways. I also used bone broth instead of water for extra flavor.
I’m so happy you like it, Lindsay! And love the tip of doing it with cream sauce as well, thank you for sharing. 🙂