4 Ingredient Pesto Baked Rigatoni Recipe

By Becky Hardin

Published Oct 9, 2019

pesto baked rigatoni pinterest photo - 2

This baked rigatoni recipe is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal. Simple and easy to make with just 4 ingredients, this dish is on the table in just 30 minutes. Packed full of flavor and a great comfort food dinner that the whole family will love.

Close up of baked rigatoni with fresh herbs - 3

If you are looking for a weeknight dinner that’s tasty and full of flavor but takes little time to prepare, you are in the right place! This baked rigatoni dish is quick to put together after a busy day and is a big bowl of comfort!

How to Make Baked Rigatoni with Pesto

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Once al dente, remove from the water and drain, reserving 1/4 cup water.
Place in a large bowl while still hot and add the water (add enough to make it a bit saucy, but not too much), the pesto, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Spray a 9×13 Baking dish with nonstick spray.
Layer half the pasta in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat.
Bake for 20 minutes or until melty and bubbly.
Serve the baked rigatoni garnished with chopped basil.

Pesto being poured and mixed into the pasta - 6

Pesto being poured and mixed into the pasta - 7

The pasta and other ingredients stirred together in a white bowl - 8

The pasta and other ingredients stirred together in a white bowl - 9

Quality Ingredients

With only 4 ingredients in this recipe , it’s important that they are high-quality!

I’m literally obsessed with all things Delallo !!! Their fresh and quality ingredients ensure that when you make your favorite Italian dishes at home, they’ll be restaurant quality each and every time. I’m so honored to be working with Delallo this year and I hope you’ll check out their line of amazing products!

For this baked rigatoni recipe I used:

Delallo San Marzano Style Italian Tomatoes (Crushed): THE FLAVOR IS INSANE
Delallo Simply Pesto (Basil): This is my go-to pesto for everrrrrrrything. Pesto is life!
Delallo Rigatoni : Delallo Pasta is as close to homemade you can get without actually making it. It’s just simply delicious, quality, and top notch.

I love that these ingredients are all things you can stock up on and keep in your pantry to use any time, yet they taste super fresh. Amazing!

Baked rigatoni in a white casserole dish - 10

Baked rigatoni in a white casserole dish - 11

Top shot of baked rigatoni just out of the oven - 12

Top shot of baked rigatoni just out of the oven - 13

What is rigatoni pasta?

Rigatoni (pronounced rig-uh-TOE-nee) is a tube shaped pasta . It varies in size, but is larger than penne and ziti and has a slight curve to it. It has a ridged surface, which means that sauces and cheese cling to it, so every bite is flavorful. It originates from southern and central Italy and is very popular is Sicilian dishes.

4 Ingredient Baked Rigatoni

This deliciously flavorful dish only contains 4 ingredients so it’s simple and straight forward to prep:

Rigatoni
Pesto
Crushed tomatoes
Mozzarella cheese
I also like to finish the pasta bake with some freshly chopped basil.

Use good quality ingredients and you will have an amazing tasty pasta bake on your hands in no time at all!

Serving Suggestions

This pesto baked rigatoni, by itself will be a hearty and tasteful meal, but you can also pair it with a fresh salad, vegetables or bread side dish. These recipes would pair perfectly with it:

Best Caprese Salad Recipe
Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe (BEST Garlic Bread)
Grilled Lemon Butter Asparagus

Baked rigatoni lifted out of the dish on a spoon - 14

Baked rigatoni lifted out of the dish on a spoon - 15

Baked rigatoni served in a blue and white bowl - 16

Baked rigatoni served in a blue and white bowl - 17

Can you make this pasta ahead of time?

Pasta bakes are a great meal to prep ahead of time. You can prep the whole dish before baking it, then cover it and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook it.

Any leftovers will be good for about 3 or 4 days too, just keep them covered in the fridge. You can then reheat individual portions in a microwave or place the whole casserole back in the oven to reheat. If you recook it in the oven, cover it with foil so the top doesn’t brown too much.

Pesto Baked Rigatoni Recipe Tips

Cook the pasta al-dente, don’t over cook it or it will become too soft once baked.
Spray your casserole dish with non stick spray so for easy removal.
Bake the pasta in a pre-heated oven for the best results.

Be sure to check out these other quick and easy weeknight meals!

Honey Mustard Salmon and Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll Ups
Pesto Cavatappi
Best Steak Fajitas Recipe (Grilled Fajitas)
Healthy Almond Milk Chicken Curry Recipe (Dairy Free)
Baked Caesar Chicken Recipe (MELT IN YOUR MOUTH and only 4 Ingredients!)

Ingredients1x2x3x

▢ 1 lb Delallo Rigatoni
▢ 6.35 ounces Delallo Simply Pesto (1 jar)
▢ 1 cup Delallo Crushed Tomatoes
▢ 1/4 cup reserved pasta water might not use the entire 1/4 cup
▢ 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
▢ fresh basil chopped

Video

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Once al dente, remove from the water and drain, reserving 1/4 cup water.
Place in a large bowl while still hot and add the water (add enough to make it a bit saucy, but not too much), the pesto, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Spray a 9x13 Baking dish with nonstick spray.
Layer half the pasta in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat.
Bake for 20 minutes or until melty and bubbly.
Serve garnished with chopped basil.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Cheesy Pesto Baked Rigatoni

Ingredients

1 lb Delallo Rigatoni
6.35 ounces Delallo Simply Pesto (1 jar)
1 cup Delallo Crushed Tomatoes
1/4 cup reserved pasta water might not use the entire 1/4 cup
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh basil chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
Once al dente, remove from the water and drain, reserving 1/4 cup water.
Place in a large bowl while still hot and add the water (add enough to make it a bit saucy, but not too much), the pesto, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
Spray a 9x13 Baking dish with nonstick spray.
Layer half the pasta in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat.
Bake for 20 minutes or until melty and bubbly.
Serve garnished with chopped basil.

Video

Nutrition

By Becky Hardin

Published Jul 12, 2017

This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.

Essential Grocery List

It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!

It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.

However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.

In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.

I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.

Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List

What to Buy at the Grocery Store

This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.

When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.

So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!