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This No Boil Baked Rigatoni is the easiest way to prepare a hearty, cheesy pasta bake. No boiling, no sautéing. Just combine everything in one pan and let the oven do the heavy lifting. The pasta bakes right in the sauce for maximum flavor and minimal cleanup.
If you love pasta and one pan dinner recipes, don't miss my recipes for Marry Me Baked Orzo, Skillet Lasagna, and Mexican Spaghetti.
Kristen's Keys for Baked Rigatoni
In order to get this rigatoni bake on the table fast without sacrificing flavor or texture, pay attention to the following tips.
- Use flavorful liquid. Since the pasta cooks right in the sauce, it soaks up whatever liquid you use. Swapping water for broth and starting with a well-seasoned sauce builds flavor right into the rigatoni as it bakes.
- Submerge the pasta as much as possible. Any noodles sticking out will stay firm. Pressing them down ensures even cooking and saves you from a few surprise chewy bites.
- Cover tightly with foil. The foil locks in moisture, creating the steam needed to cook the pasta through. If it is not sealed well, the noodles can dry out before they turn tender.
- Grate the cheese yourself. I won't hold it against you if you grab a bag of shredded cheese to keep dinner easy, but taking a couple of extra minutes here helps the cheese melt much smoother.
Notes on Ingredients
Since this is a short ingredient list, they each have big impact to the overall flavor of this rigatoni bake.
- Rigatoni: The bake time is based on using uncooked rigatoni noodles. Ziti is a suitable swap.
- Spaghetti Sauce: A well-seasoned jar of spaghetti sauce or marinara makes all the difference here.
- Broth/Stock: Chicken stock or vegetable broth work well. I prefer low-sodium broth so I can control the salt, but use what you have and adjust to taste.
- Heavy Cream: Makes the baked rigatoni feel a bit more luxurious. Feel free to swap it out for additional broth, but don't be tempted to use milk or half-and half as they can curdle when baked at high temperatures.
- Sausage (Optional): To add protein, while still keeping it easy, I like to add in slices of precooked Italian sausage. Chicken sausage is my favorite, but any Italian-seasoned smoked sausage will work here.
- Cheese: Mozzarella and parmesan for that classic, melty pasta bake finish.
- Seasonings: A pinch of salt, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes help to enhance the flavor of the spaghetti sauce.
How to Make Baked Rigatoni Without Boiling the Noodles First
With the right ratio of liquids, this baked rigatoni is as easy as dump, stir, and bake! Let's get to it!
Step One: Build the Sauce
Lightly brush a deep 9x13 baking dish with olive oil to help with clean-up. Pour in the spaghetti sauce. Add broth to the empty jar, shake it up, then pour into the pan. This helps to get out every bit of sauce from the jar. Whisk in the cream and seasonings.
Step Two: Add Rigatoni and Sausage
Stir in the uncooked rigatoni and sliced sausage (if using). Press the pasta down so it is mostly submerged into the liquid.
Step Three: Bake
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the foil, give everything a good stir. At this point, the pasta should be mostly tender but still have a slight bite. If it's still firm or a little too chewy, cover again and bake another 10 minutes.
Step Four: Finish with Cheese
Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the top and return to the oven, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
Step Five: Serve
Once the pasta is tender and the cheese has melted, remove the rigatoni bake from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to further set up.
Then, serve as desired. I often top with fresh ribbons of basil for a pop of fresh flavor, but that is completely optional. Add homemade garlic toast and a side salad (an Italian salad or Greek salad work well here) and sit down and enjoy comfort food at it's EASIEST!
Recipe Modifications
- Swap the Protein: Swap out the sliced sausage for 1 pound of cooked and crumbled Italian sausage, ground beef, or thawed frozen meatballs.
- Lighten it Up: Replace the heavy cream with additional broth. You'll still get great flavor, just slightly less richness.
- No Rigatoni? Stick with similar sturdy shapes like penne or ziti. Cooking time may vary slightly.
- Adjust the Spice: Skip the red pepper flakes for a kid-friendly version or add more if your crew likes a little heat.
Baked Rigatoni FAQs
Gluten-free pasta releases more starch and can turn gummy in this no-boil method. It's just not the best fit here.
Cover it back up and bake another 10 minutes. Some brands (especially bronze-cut pasta) take closer to 50-60 minutes.
You can assemble it ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Let the dish come to room temperature while the oven preheats and add an extra 10 extra minutes to the covered bake time.
Follow my recipes for Instant Pot Creamy Ziti or Instant Pot Rigatoni for a close equivalent of this no-boil pasta bake.
More Favorite Pasta Bake Recipes
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No Boil Baked Rigatoni
Video
Ingredients
- olive oil, for greasing pan
- 1 (25 oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce, see notes for recommendations
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- ½ cup heavy cream, or additional stock
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, +/- to taste
- 16 ounces dried rigatoni noodles
- 12 ounces Italian smoked chicken sausage, sliced into 1-inch rounds
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425℉. Lightly brush a deep 9x13-inch casserole dish (or lasagna pan) with a bit of olive oil.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to the baking dish. Pour the broth into the empty jar and shake to get out every last drop, then add that to the pan as well. Add ½ cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and whisk to combine.
- Add the noodles (uncooked) and sliced sausage to the pan stir coat the the pasta in the sauce. Push the noodles down into the sauce to submerge as much as possible.
- Cover the dish TIGHTLY with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, carefully remove from the oven, remove the foil, and give the pasta a good stir. *The noodles should be still a bit firm, but if they are hard, recover with foil and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pasta and return to the oven. Continue to bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the pasta is tender.
- Remove the rigatoni from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I wonder if you could use fresh homemade pasta. Any thoughts?
Hi Stephanie! The liquid ratio and bake time would change significantly for fresh pasta, as it cooks very quickly (2-3 minutes in boiling water) and won't need as much liquid as it is not dried out. I have not tried using fresh rigatoni for this recipe, so not sure how to advise.