No Boil Baked Rigatoni

No Boil Baked Rigatoni is a super easy and delicious no boil pasta bake made with rigatoni noodles, Italian sausage, marinara, Italian seasonings, milk, half and half, and Italian cheese! This recipe requires no boiling of the noodles - they are cooked while it bakes!

After making my No Boil Lemon Parmesan Pasta, I was hooked on no boil pastas! I couldn't believe I've made it this far in life without making a no boil pasta bake recipe, and my mind was full of new variations to make. My kids always love a classic red sauce with Italian sausage, so next up on my list was this No Boil Baked Rigatoni.

This baked rigatoni dish is creamy, cheesy, and full of so much flavor. It will surely become a family favorite!

Ingredients in No Boil Pasta Bake

• Mild Italian Sausage - you can use hot if you like things spicier! You could also use ground beef or ground turkey sausage, if you prefer.
• Rigatoni - I love the shape of rigatoni for this pasta bake! It captures the sauce inside the pasta shape and is super easy for my kids to eat.
• Marinara - our favorite marinara sauce is Rao's Marinara. It's a little pricier than many other marinaras, but we buy it at Costco which helps! If I don't use Rao's I like Target's brand Good and Gather because they have organic marinara.
• Half and Half - this makes the baked rigatoni super creamy. You can use heavy cream for extra rich pasta bake. You could substitute milk with good results, but it won't be quite as creamy.
• Chicken Broth - the pasta is baked in the broth and half and half, so the chicken broth adds flavor. If you want, you can just use water.
• Italian Seasoning - Italian seasoning is made of classic Italian herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary, and adds delicious flavor to this no boil pasta bake.
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper
• Mozzarella Cheese - shredded mozzarella is added towards the end and makes this pasta dish super cheesy and tasty!

How to Make No Boil Baked Pasta

This recipe could not be easier to make.

Cook the sausage. To start, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet until it is nicely browned and broken up into small chunks.

Combine the ingredients. Add the uncooked pasta, Italian sausage, marinara, half and half, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt to a greased 9x13" casserole dish. Gently combine everything, using a spatula to make sure the pasta is mostly covered by the liquids.

Cover and bake. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. It's important to make sure it's sealed tightly, as the pasta will be somewhat steamed by the liquids in the dish. Bake the pasta for 40 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Add the cheese. After 40 minutes, remove the dish from the oven, take off the foil, and stir in the mozzarella cheese. Cover again tightly with the foil and then bake another 10 minutes.

Stir. After the last 10 minutes of baking time, stir the dish so the cheese is incorporated.

Serve and enjoy. Serve topped with some fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Storage. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this no boil pasta bake with garlic bread and a side salad for a well rounded dinner!

Variations on No Boil Baked Rigatoni

Ground Beef - you can use ground beef instead of Italian sausage or even omit the meat altogether for a vegetable baked rigatoni.

Marinara Variations - there are so many different types of marinaras! Use whatever flavor looks best that day! We love Rao's marinara.

Veggies - add thawed chopped spinach to the dish for a boost of veggies! Simply stir in when you add the cheese.

Pasta - as I mentioned, rigatoni works really well in this recipe but I've made it with other types of pasta, too. Spaghetti noodles, fettuccine noodles, and penne pasta all work beautifully!

Like this recipe? Check these out, too!

Instant Pot Rigatoni

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake

Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi