This Easy No-Boil Pasta Bake is the perfect weeknight dinner the whole family will love. It is a one-pan meal that requires just 5 minutes of prep time. Dinner will be on the table 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!
Minimal prep means fewer dishes, and there may be no chore I despise more than doing the dishes. No-boil pasta recipes are great since the oven does most of the work! If you love one-pot meals, you will also enjoy Easy Baked Halibut with Tomatoes and Italian Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- It’s a one-pan meal, meaning fewer dishes!
- Easy to make gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan.
- It's a very hands-off recipe that requires less effort on your part.
- A perfect way to clean out the fridge is by adding vegetables that you need to use up along with some pantry staples.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta - You need uncooked pasta for this recipe. Penne pasta, ziti, rigatoni, or fusilli will all work great.
- Pasta sauce - Use your family’s favorite jarred spaghetti sauce, or try making your own like this Authentic 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.
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.
It is also easy to adjust it for different diet types!
- Gluten-free - Simply swap out the regular pasta for a gluten-free brand.
- Vegetarian - Skip the meat, or use a meat substitute.
- Vegan - Trade the cheese for vegan cheese. You can also use a meat substitute or omit the meat and double up on the veggies.
Instructions
- Prep. Dice the chicken sausage and vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
- Assemble. In a 9x13-inch baking or casserole dish, add the sauce, sausage, broccoli, dry pasta, sauce and seasonings.
- Mix all ingredients together in the pan until well combined.
- Cover and bake. Top with cheese, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Finish by broiling so the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe can easily 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!
Yes, you can freeze the pasta bake. The pasta bake should last a few months if stored in a freezer-safe container. Leftovers can stay in the fridge for about 4 days.
To defrost: Defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours (no more than 4 for food safety reasons) 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 in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
Chef Tips
- Spray your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients for easier cleanup.
- Make it easy by using 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.
Serving
While this no-boil pasta bake is a full meal on its own, you can definitely add a few side dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Roasted Garlic Air Fryer Carrots25 Minutes
- Prosciutto, Burrata and Grilled Peach Salad25 Minutes
- Air Fryer Butternut Squash30 Minutes
- Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans20 Minutes
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⭐️ Did you make this? Please leave a comment below & rate the recipe to let me know how it came out! ⭐️
🍳Recipe
Easy No-Boil Pasta Bake
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Garlic press
- 9X13 Baking dish
- Measuring spoons and cups needed: 1 cup, ½ cup, and ½ teaspoon
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).
Notes
- Spray your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray before adding the ingredients for easier cleanup.
- Make it easy by using 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.
- To store: Leftovers can stay in the fridge for about 4 days. The pasta bake should last a few weeks to 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 (no more than 4 for food safety reasons) 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 in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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!