No Boil Baked Rigatoni

Bowl of cheesy baked pasta with creamy red sauce and sliced sausage topped with ribbons of basil.

No ratings yet

This baked rigatoni comes together in one dish with pantry staples to deliver a cozy, cheesy pasta bake without the need to boil noodles first.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Author: Kristen Chidsey

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.

Video

Notes

Spaghetti Sauce: Use a well-seasoned, quality marinara or spaghetti sauce here. I personally love Mezzetta, Raos, or my homemade spaghetti sauce. For homemade sauce, use 3¼ cups.

Sausage: Feel free to use any variety of precooked Italian sausage links here. Even thawed frozen meatballs would work. My family personally loves this baked rigatoni with Italian-flavored chicken sausage. Aidells, Al Fresco, Gilbert's and Amylu all are great options.

Seasonings: Adjust according to your taste preferences. We like it heavy on garlic powder and oregano, but adjust as desired.

Do NOT substitute gluten-free rigatoni, as they give off too much starch to work in a no-boil baked pasta like this.

Bake Time: Brands can vary in cooking time. With Barilla and most store brands, this timing is accurate. If you are using bronze-cut pasta brands (e.g., Barilla Al Bronzo, Rao's, De Cecco) you will likely need to bake for 50-60 minutes covered before removing the foil and adding cheese.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on a heat-safe plate, covered with a damp paper towel, in the microwave in 60-second intervals until warmed through.

Nutrition is approximate and will vary based on sauce and sausage used.

Nutrition