5 ingredients is all you need to make this Easy Baked Rotini Pasta! This Easy Pasta Bake is a cheesy, gooey, kid friendly casserole that can feed a large crowd on a budget.
Looking for more recipes that use rotini noodles? Check out my recipe for Italian Pasta Salad, Instant Pot Creamy Italian Pasta, and Creamy Cajun Pasta.
Easy Baked Rotini Pasta
If you are looking for a meal that is cheap, kid-approved, easy to make, and delicious---you can stop searching!
This simple Pasta Bake checks all those boxes!
Made with only 5 ingredients and minimal prep time, Baked Rotini is not only a meal your family will love, but it is an EASY meal to make.
From the tender rotini noodles, to the creamy cottage cheese, to the marinara sauce, to the layer of melted cheese, this simple pasta dish is pure comfort!
And because it comes together within minutes with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand--this pasta bake makes you look like a rock star without a lot of effort! Making it a perfect recipe for busy weeknights or lazy weekends.
5 Ingredients for Easy Baked Pasta
- Rotini Noodles--You can use rigatoni or penne noodles if you like instead of rotini noodles, but the rotini noodles grasp the sauce perfectly and stay soft during baking. Use Gluten-Free Pasta to make this a Gluten-Free Baked Pasta.
- Spaghetti Sauce--Use your favorite jarred sauce or Homemade Tomato Sauce, just be sure it is one with really good flavor.
- Cottage Cheese--Cottage cheese makes this pasta bake creamy and hearty, while adding a bit of protein to each serving. If you don't have cottage cheese, feel free to use ricotta cheese in place of the cottage cheese.
- Egg--The egg helps to bind the pasta together, but can easily be omitted for an Egg-Free Pasta Bake--just be sure your noodles are egg-free as well!
- Cheese--Cheese is the finishing touch to create a gooey, cheesy pasta dish that makes everyone beg for seconds! Use shredded mozzarella cheese or an Italian cheese blend.
How to Make Baked Rotini
Step One: Cook Rotini Noodles
- Cook pasta in heavily salted water for 1-2 minutes less than package suggests.
- Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking water.
Pro Tip: While pasta is cooking, use that time to prep a side salad or homemade garlic bread to serve with the pasta bake.
Step Two: Prepare Pasta Bake
- Mix cooked rotini noodles with tomato sauce, reserved cooking liquid, egg, cottage cheese, and sauce. The reserved cooking liquid will help bind the sauce evenly coat the rotini noodles.
- Pour into 9x13 pan or 2 quart casserole.
- Top evenly with shredded cheese.
Step Three: Bake Rotini Dish
- Bake the pasta bake, uncovered, until cheese melts and pasta is warmed through, about 30 minutes. If you prepped the garlic bread, pop into the oven for the last 10-15 minutes of the bake time.
- Serve baked pasta with Homemade Garlic Toast and a tossed salad with balsamic dressing for a meal everyone will sing your praises for!
Storing/Freezing Pasta Bake
This easy pasta bake is almost always found stashed in my freezer. It makes a great go-to meal for busy nights for my family, but it is also a great meal to take to a friend or family in need of a comforting home cooked meal.
To prepare pasta in advance, assemble pasta bake up to baking and place in a freezer safe baking dish. Cover well with 2 layers of foil and freeze for up to two months. To bake from frozen, bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through and cheese is melted.
You can also prep this pasta bake earlier in the week and store in your refrigerator for up to 3 days until ready to bake. Simply prepare pasta bake up to baking. Place in baking dish and cover. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to bake, remove from the fridge while the oven is preheating and bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until warmed through.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
5 Ingredient Baked Rotini
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini noodles or ziti, rigatoni, etc
- ½ cup reserved pasta liquid
- 4 cups homemade or jarred spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 egg whisked
- 2 cups shredded cheese mozzarella, cheddar, Parmesan or a mixture
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta 1-2 minutes less than package directions in salted boiling water. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup cooking liquid.
- Mix cooked pasta and reserved cooking liquid together with the sauce, cottage cheese, egg, and 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Pour into a large 9x13 pan or casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.
- Alternatively, you can prep this dish up to baking. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking. Add 20 minutes to baking time if coming from fridge.
Notes
- Whole wheat, regular, or gluten free noodles can be used.
- Feel free to add in ground beef, sausage, or even pepperoni to this baked rotini for a heartier dish.
- In place of cottage cheese, ricotta cheese can be used.
- Omit the egg if you need this to be an egg free pasta bake (just be sure to check your noodles for eggs as well!)
- Pasta Bake can be assembled up to baking and frozen for up to 2 months. To bake from frozen, bake covered with foil at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Tracey
Could you use ricotta cheese Instead?
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Laurel
Whole tamily love this recipe
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you and your family enjoyed!
Steven
I, and my family just love this recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that! Thanks for sharing!
Bethany Tucker
This was super delicious! I used low fat cottage cheese and reduced fat shredded cheese. Each serving was 380 calories. This is definitely a new family favorite.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad your family enjoyed Bethany!
Dolores
Thank you for this recipe! I am a vegetarian, who unfortunately doesn’t have a lot of skills in the kitchen, and this recipe was so easy to make. I omitted the egg and still loved this pasta!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that this was easy and enjoyable for you Dolores!
Christin
Making this tonight and cannot wait! However, you used “sauce” when you meant “reserved liquid”:
Mix cooked pasta and reserved sauce together with sauce,
Kristen Chidsey
Fixing now. Thanks for the catch 🙂 And enjoy the rotini!
Cody Black
I made this last night for the family. My 4 picky kids ate it great and asked for seconds. This recipe is definitely a keeper. It is a simple and easy one to throw together and is made with staples that we always have. Thanks for the recipe! As someone close to the CF world, I hope you and your family stay safe and healthy during this crazy time.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad your family enjoyed Cody! And thank you for your wishes for my family! I hope yours stays well too.
Brooke
Hi I premade and put in the freezer, do I need to thaw out in the fridge before I bake in the oven? Or can you bake directly from being frozen?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Brooke. You can bake right from the freezer. From freezer, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes covered, and then uncovered for 15 additional minutes. And YAY for a stocked freezer!
Rachel
Could you add ground beef/chicken to this? If so how much would you recommend and would this change baking time?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rachel! Ground beef, chicken or sausage would be a great addition. I would use anywhere from half a pound to full pound. Just brown up the meat in a skillet and then mix in with remaining ingredients. Bake time will remain the same. Enjoy 🙂