This gooey No-Boil Pasta Bake skips the boiling step-everything cooks together in one pan for a cheesy, comforting dinner ready in under an hour. This dish is super simple and easy to customize with your favorite sauce, protein, and veggies.
Honestly, who doesn't love fast and easy meals? No-boil baked pasta recipes are the best type of dinner when you don't have a ton of time but need a hearty and filling meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, just throw the whole thing in the oven! My favorite part about it? It's great for leftovers and to make ahead of time because it stores well.
Minimal prep means fewer dishes, and there may be no chore I despise more than doing the dishes. This is an 'in a pinch' recipe which is great since the oven does most of the work! If you love one-pot meals, you will also enjoy Oven-Baked Halibut with Tomatoes and Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner.
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Ingredients
- Pasta - Penne, ziti, rigatoni, or fusilli will all work great. I have not tested this with spaghetti noodles or other long pasta. If you are a fan of easy pasta recipes, try chicken bolognese next.
- Pasta sauce - Use your family's favorite jarred spaghetti sauce, or try making your own Italian pasta sauce recipe.
- Veggies - I used broccoli florets for this recipe but you can use anything you have on hand; onions, peppers, mushrooms, spinach, etc.
- Chicken sausage - I used pre-cooked Italian sausage but you can use your favorite chicken sausage. If you use uncooked sausage, make sure to cook it before adding it to the baking dish.
- Cheese - I use mozzarella cheese and parmesan for this recipe. Low-moisture mozzarella cheese works best since fresh mozzarella will cause the pasta to be more watery.
- Water - You need 1 cup of water for some extra liquid. Chicken or vegetable broth would also be great.
See the recipe card below for quantities and remaining ingredients.
Variations
This no-boil pasta bake is super customizable and can be adjusted to your family's preferences.
- Protein - Use shredded rotisserie chicken, diced grilled chicken, small frozen meatballs, or even ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey. The ground meat will need to be browned on the stove beforehand.
- Vegetables - you can use onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, or any of your favorite vegetables in this dish.
- Cheese - You can use cheddar, a pizza cheese blend, ricotta cheese, feta, provolone, or even vegan cheese. Toss a few cubes of cream cheese to make it extra creamy.
- Seasonings - I would suggest using salt and pepper in the dish, but you can add other spices if you wish. Red pepper flakes, onion salt, garlic powder, basil, or oregano would all be great additions. You can also top it with some fresh herbs after baking, like fresh basil or parsley.
- Sauce - Any regular jarred tomato sauce works great or you can switch it up and use vodka sauce.
It is also easy to adjust it for different diet types!
- Gluten-free - Gluten-free pasta can easily be used in this pasta dish.
- Vegetarian - Skip the meat, or use a meat substitute.
- Vegan - Trade the cheese for vegan cheese or cheese alternatives like nutritional yeast. You can also use a meat substitute or omit the meat and double up on the veggies.
How to Make No-Boil Pasta Bake
Step 1: Add some sauce to the bottom of a rectangular baking dish.
Step 2: Top the sauce with dry pasta, chicken sausage, vegetables, parmesan cheese, water and remaining marinara sauce.
Step 3: Mix all ingredients together in the pan until well combined.
Step 4: Top with cheese, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and finish by broiling so the top of the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this easy pasta bake can be made ahead of time. Assemble all the ingredients in the baking dish and refrigerate a day ahead of time. Then when you are ready to serve, just throw it in the oven.
No, you do not have to boil the pasta for this pasta bake recipe. The pasta will cook in the sauce with the other ingredients in the oven. You also don't have to use special no-boil pasta, regular pasta noodles will work.
To prevent the pasta from drying out, I recommend covering it with foil while baking. This will help to keep the moisture in the pan.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Spray your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients for easier cleanup.
- Make it easy by using the pantry staples and veggies you need to use up in the fridge.
- Save time and make it for meal prep, as it keeps really well when stored in an airtight container.
- Let your pasta bake rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the cheese to set.
Storage and Reheating
- Store leftover pasta bake in the fridge for about 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- The pasta bake should last a few months if stored in a freezer-safe container.
- To defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours or place the container in cold water to speed up the process.
- To reheat: Once defrosted, heat in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes in a microwave-safe container or the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
Serving
While this no-boil pasta bake is a full meal on its own, you can definitely add a few side dishes such as air fryer carrots or a simple green salad with white balsamic vinaigrette.
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Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Easy No-Boil Pasta Bake (One-Pan, 5 Minute Prep!)
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Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package of penne, ziti or fusilli pasta
- 2 (16 ounce) jars of marinara or pasta sauce*
- 3 cups broccoli or veggies of choice, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 package chicken sausage, cut into bite-sized rounds
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup water
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 400 degrees F. Dice the chicken sausage into bite-sized rounds and if necessary, cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble the pasta bake. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, add about ¼ cup sauce to the bottom of the pan. Top the sauce with pasta, chicken sausage, vegetables, parmesan cheese, water and jars of marinara sauce. Then add salt, black pepper, garlic cloves, and Italian seasoning.
- Using a large spoon, mix all ingredients together in the pan until well combined.
- Top with mozzarella cheese, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil from the baking dish and bake for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered. Then, broil for about 90 seconds until the cheese bubbles (optional).
Sarah's Tips
- Spray your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients for easier cleanup.
- Make it easy by using the pantry staples and veggies you need to use up in the fridge.
- Save time and make it for meal prep, as it keeps really well when stored in an airtight container.
- Let your pasta bake rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the cheese to set.
- Store leftover pasta bake in the fridge for about 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- The pasta bake should last a few months if stored in a freezer-safe container.
- To defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours or place the container in cold water to speed up the process.
- To reheat: Once defrosted, heat in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes in a microwave-safe container or the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
KITCHEN TOOLS NEEDED
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
- 9X13 Baking dish
- Measuring spoons and cups needed: 1 cup, ½ cup, and ½ teaspoon
Will Williams says
Hi. Can you please clarify: 2 (16 ounce) jars of marinara or pasta sauce - do you mean 2 x 16oz jars or do you mean 2 jars totalling 160z (i.e. 8oz per jar). Thanks
abbeymarisa@gmail.com says
Hi Will, thanks for the question. The recipe calls for 2 x (16 oz) jars, so a total of 32 oz of marinara or pasta sauce. Enjoy!
Mel says
pasta comes out gummy and weird
Sarah Hill says
Hi Mel, I’m sorry you had a negative experience with this recipe. A gummy texture can sometimes happen if the pasta releases too much starch, which might be affected by the brand or type of pasta used. I recommend using traditional semolina pasta and ensuring the sauce has enough liquid. Stirring the pasta halfway through baking can also help! I truly appreciate your comment and will be re-testing the recipe to see if any adjustments are needed.
C.Murphy says
I never comment on any recipe. Ever. But this recipe is awful. I'd give it 0 stars if it was possible. I made a half recipe, because there are only 2 of us. But even after using extra sauce and adding a bit more water to the smaller casserole dish, and baking it for an extra few minutes, the penne noodles were STILL not cooked through! It was awful! So, I added even more water, wrapped the casserole in dish in layers of plastic wrap and threw it in the microwave for 10 minutes at 70% power. After that, the noodles were softer, but the whole casserole was pasty even though there was extra sauce and extra water. Next time, I'm just gonna make a traditional casserole and boil the noodles. This was absolutely no timesaver and barely edible!
Sarah Hill says
Hi C, I'm so sorry this happened! I've never had this issue before, I really am not sure why the pasta wouldn't cook. A few things that might help—if reducing the recipe, the liquid ratio and baking time may need slight adjustments, and using a smaller dish can impact how the pasta cooks. Also, making sure to cover the dish tightly with foil during baking helps trap steam for even cooking. I truly appreciate your feedback and would love to help troubleshoot!
Christine says
cannot print!!??
Sarah Holt says
Hi Christine, so sorry about that. I just fixed something and you should be able to print now. Please try again and let me know if you still have issues.
Michelle Rolfe says
Great idea for a quick and easy dinner when you have hungry kids to feed! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle
Sarah Holt says
Thanks Michelle!
Helen - Cooking with my kids says
I love a quick and easy dinner. This sounds perfect for a midweek meal in our house.
Sarah Holt says
The best kind of dinners and something everyone will enjoy!
Janice Pattie says
This is so my kind of dinner! I love how easy it is to make and all the flavour that's packed into this dish.
Sarah Holt says
Thanks Janice, love to make easy flavorful meals!