You don’t even have to boil the pasta! This dump-and-bake creamy tomato basil pasta is an easy dinner that cooks in one dish with just 5 minutes of prep. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Table of Contents
This easy tomato basil pasta is bound to become one of your family’s favorite go-to meals. It’s quick to assemble, it requires just a handful of basic ingredients, and it’s delicious alongside a simple salad, breadsticks, or garlic bread. Best of all, the noodles cook right in the sauce, so this simple pasta bake doesn’t require too many dishes or too much hands-on time!
Do you have to cook pasta before putting in casserole?
While many casserole recipes call for cooking pasta before mixing it into the dish, this particular recipe is designed specifically for uncooked pasta. That means that you do not boil the noodles on the stovetop before adding them to the casserole dish. Instead, the noodles cook right in the oven with the rest of the ingredients. This requires extra liquid in the pan (since the pasta absorbs a lot of water as it cooks), and extra cooking time to make sure that the noodles are tender.
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pan of creamy tomato basil pasta. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce: these come together to create the perfect creamy tomato sauce. Store-bought sauces are great (Rao’s brand is our favorite), but you can certainly use homemade marinara or homemade Alfredo sauce if you prefer.
- Broth: I use chicken broth or chicken stock, but vegetable broth or vegetable stock are great substitutes for a vegetarian meal.
- Basil pesto: I always have this store-bought brand in my fridge, but homemade pesto is also wonderful when fresh basil is in season.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Dried basil and fresh basil: to really bring home that basil flavor, which pairs so well with tomatoes. If you don’t have fresh basil, no problem — just leave it off of the top, or use a different fresh herb instead.
- Garlic powder: for even more savory flavor in the sauce.
- Petite diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano: add flavor to the sauce and bulk up the dish. In the summer, try using chopped fresh cherry tomatoes instead!
- Mezzi rigatoni pasta: this is the brand that I use, which has a suggested cook time of 9 minutes on the package. If you can’t find mezzi rigatoni, then substitute with another short pasta shape, such as penne, rigatoni, or rotini with a similar cooking time. You may need to increase the total baking time for your casserole if you choose a different pasta.
- Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese: because every good pasta bake needs plenty of crispy, gooey cheese on top! Sliced fresh mozzarella would be a nice substitute for the grated mozzarella.
How to Make Tomato Basil Pasta
Weeknight dinners don’t get much easier than a dump and bake pasta casserole! I’ve included complete cooking instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the quick version:
- Whisk together the tomato basil sauce.
- Stir in the uncooked pasta and the tomatoes.
- Transfer to a greased baking dish.
- Cover and bake until the pasta is just about tender.
- Give it a stir, sprinkle cheeses on top, and bake until done.
- Let the casserole rest, spoon individual servings into a pasta dish, and garnish with fresh basil or other chopped fresh herbs, if desired.
What to Serve with Easy Tomato Basil Pasta
Pair the pasta bake with any of these sides:
- Garlic Bread, Breadsticks, or Focaccia Bread
- Green Side Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Wedge Salad with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing, Caesar Salad, or our favorite House Salad with Candied Pecans
- Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
- Roasted Broccoli or Broccoli and Cheese
- Roasted Asparagus or Sauteed Asparagus
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter, Arkansas Green Beans with Bacon, or Southern-Style Green Beans
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Sauteed Zucchini or Roasted Yellow Squash
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Fennel Salad with Apples and Creamy Cider Dressing
- Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables
Preparation and Storage
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- I do not recommend freezing this casserole because pasta has a tendency to become gummy and mushy when thawed.
- Reheat individual portions of leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
Recipe Variations
- Don’t have mezzi rigatoni? You can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne pasta, rotini, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the mezzi rigatoni (about 8-10 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- Use vegetable broth or vegetable stock for a vegetarian meal.
- For more veggies, stir in an 8-ounce container of sliced fresh mushrooms. They will be soft and perfectly cooked by the time the pasta is done.
- For a spicy dish, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. You can also add even more flavor with Italian seasoning.
- If you prefer a pasta bake with meat, try adding frozen (thawed) meatballs to the dish, or use browned Italian sausage or ground beef. The sausage (or ground beef) requires an extra step to cook the meat in a large skillet first, though.
- Add buttered breadcrumbs on top for a crunchy texture.
- Cooking for a Larger Family: Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 13 x 9-inch pan. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
Tips for the Best TOmato BAsil Pasta Recipe
- Use a deep 8-inch dish or a 9-inch dish with a capacity of at least 2 – 2 ½ quarts so that it can accommodate all of the raw ingredients without bubbling over. This is the dish that I’ve shown here.
- Pick a high-quality, flavorful marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce. A delicious sauce will yield a delicious meal. I like Rao’s brand, but any similar variety will work.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use, your brand of pasta, and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender.
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
- Garnish the casserole with herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley for a bright, colorful touch.
More Dump-and-Bake Pasta Recipes to Try
- Dump-and-Bake Meatball and Veggie Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Mushroom Casserole
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Pasta Casserole
- Pizza Casserole
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Dump-and-Bake Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Resting Time 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
You don't even have to boil the pasta for this easy dump-and-bake creamy tomato basil pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 cups marinara sauce (or reduce to 1 ½ cups for a less "saucy" dish)
- 1 cup Alfredo sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth (or use vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish)
- 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade basil pesto
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, drained
- 8 ounces dry uncooked mezzi rigatoni pasta (or other similar short pasta shape)
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (or grated Italian cheese blend)
- ¼ grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves or other chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease a deep 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish or spray with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, pesto, salt, basil, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Stir in tomatoes and uncooked pasta.
- Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until pasta is al dente (almost tender), about 40-45 minutes.
- Remove foil and stir the pasta in the dish. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese over top.
- Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 5-10 more minutes, or until pasta is tender and cheese is melted.
- Let the dish stand for about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with fresh basil or other fresh herbs.
Notes
-
- Use a deep 8-inch dish or a 9-inch dish with a capacity of at least 2 – 2 ½ quarts so that it can accommodate all of the raw ingredients without bubbling over. This is the dish that I’ve shown here.
-
- Pick a high-quality, flavorful marinara sauce and Alfredo sauce. A delicious sauce will yield a delicious meal. I like Rao’s brand, but any similar variety will work.
-
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use, your brand of pasta, and your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender.
-
- Be careful not to overbake the casserole or the pasta will become mushy.
-
- Garnish the casserole with herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley for a bright, colorful touch.
- Don’t have mezzi rigatoni? You can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne, rotini, or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the mezzi rigatoni (about 8-10 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven.
- For more veggies, stir in an 8-ounce container of sliced fresh mushrooms. They will be soft and perfectly cooked by the time the pasta is done.
- For a spicy dish, add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Add buttered breadcrumbs on top for a crunchy texture.
- Cooking for a Larger Family: Double all of the ingredients and bake the casserole in a 13 x 9-inch pan. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the casseroleCalories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 16gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 1826mgPotassium: 716mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 890IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 176mgIron: 3mg
I am concerned about the extra starch in not cooking the pasta first.
Hi, Nancy! Yes, the pasta releases starches as it cooks, which helps to thicken the sauce. It’s similar to adding starchy pasta water to homemade pasta sauces on the stovetop for the same reason. 🙂
Greetings!
Thank you for sharing such a delicious pasta recipe. My husband hummed while eating his serving of pasta.
Yay! So happy to hear that, Kathy!
OMG! Made this recipe today and it turned out fantastic. This is definitely a keeper.
Thank you so much, Patricia! We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
This is our new family favorite!! So much flavor!! I always thaw frozen meatballs and add them to this dish before popping it in the oven. Delicious!! Thanks Blair!
We’re honored! Thank you, Sandi! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe.