No Boil Pasta Bake

Name: No Boil Pasta Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 16 ounce ricotta cheese (✅); 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (✅); 1 teaspoon garlic powder (✅); 2 1/5 cups dry gluten-free elbow pasta; 28 ounces diced tomatoes (✅); 24 ounce marinara sauce (✅); 8 ounces mozzarella cheese (✅)

Our no-boil pasta bake is quick and simple and will become a family favorite. Made with gluten-free pasta, diced tomatoes, ricotta cheese, and marinara sauce baked into a cheesy casserole kids love.

This easy pasta bake is made with less than 10 ingredients, one dish and without boiling noodles. Even better, it comes with a 5-star review from the family every time. What more could you need in a pasta recipe!

For more no-boil recipes, find step-by-step instructions for our No Boil Crockpot Mac and Cheese and No-Boil Lasagna.

Pasta Bake

You can’t go wrong serving pasta for dinner. Both kids and parents love to indulge in a savory pasta recipe. Especially, a pasta bake!

Pasta bakes eliminate the need to boil pasta and instead combine the ingredients all in one pan to create a cheesy recipe.

We cannot wait for you to try our newest one! With minimal mess and excellent reviews from everyone at home, we know you’ll be making this no-boil recipe frequently.

This meatless baked pasta can be made the day of or in advance just like our Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie, Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole, Make Ahead Roasted Potatoes and Make-Ahead French Toast Casserole.

To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card. Enjoy!

Equipment

Ingredients

16 ounce ricotta cheese ✅
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ✅
1 teaspoon garlic powder ✅
2 1/5 cups dry gluten-free elbow pasta
28 ounces diced tomatoes ✅
24 ounce marinara sauce ✅
8 ounces mozzarella cheese ✅

Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.

How To Make

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray the baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Blend the ricotta mixture

Add the ricotta cheese to a mixing bowl. Add the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Blend well. Set aside.

Layer the casserole

Add the dry pasta to the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Add the undrained diced tomatoes. Stir them together. Add the ricotta mixture and spread on top.

You can leave it layered or blend it with the noodles slightly. Pour the marinara on top of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly.

Cover tightly with tin foil.

Bake

Bake for 40 minutes covered. Remove and add the mozzarella cheese.

Place back into the oven uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve

Let cool for 5-10 minutes then serve hot.

How To Serve

Serve alongside any source of protein or keep the entire meal meatless by pairing with vegetarian side dishes.

For chicken, we find Italian Chicken Thighs, Air Fry Frozen Chicken Breasts, and Boiled Chicken Tenders are great options. Fish, pork, Italian sausage and beef recipes also come highly recommended. Especially our Air Fry Frozen Fish Fillets!

For side dishes, there are just so many possibilities. If we had to narrow it down to our top 5 favorites, it would be Roasted Frozen Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Broccoli and Carrots, Gluten Free Dinner Rolls, Italian Zucchini Tots and Air Fryer Asparagus.

Of course, you could also serve pasta bakes with both meat and veggie side dishes if looking to offer a larger spread on your dinner table.

hand sprinkling mozzarella cheese on pasta bake

Storage & Reheating Instructions

Another great thing about pasta bakes is leftovers store extremely well and are easy to reheat. Just like casserole dishes.

Let leftovers cool completely then store in the baking dish or divide individual portions between containers. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer with a label for up to 3 months.

If you store in individual portions, you can easily reheat in the oven or the microwave with the exact amount you need. It makes dinner super simple on busy nights.

You can reheat from frozen or leave in the fridge overnight to thaw then heat.

If reheating a large portion in the baking dish, recover with aluminum foil to prevent the cheese from burning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to cook pasta?

This no-boil recipes takes approximately 50 minutes to cook the pasta. Since ovens cook differently, you may need to adjust the cooking time by 5-10 minutes depending how you prefer pasta cooked.

Can you add vegetables?

Absolutely! Add any chopped veggies such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, onions, mushrooms, zucchini or fresh spinach.

How to add meat to this dish?

You can add shredded, chopped, diced or ground chicken, beef or pork to this recipe before baking. You will want to cook the meat prior to layering on the pasta. You can also opt to serve the pasta on top or next to your choice of protein. This is a great option if looking to pair with a fish filet such as haddock, tilapia or salmon.

What can you use in place of ricotta cheese?

16 ounces of cottage cheese can replace ricotta cheese if preferred.

Kids In The Kitchen

Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.

Spray aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray prior to covering to prevent ingredients from sticking to the foil. You can do this for casserole dishes too!
You wait to add the mozzarella cheese, so it does not burn.
Add fresh basil to the top after baking as a flavorful and colorful garnish.
Ask someone at home to help you pack leftovers in a thermos to take to school and enjoy at lunch.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

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