Next Post
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
One Pan 4 Cheese Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta Bake…for nights when you’re craving Italian, but also need something simple and easy to prepare. Rigatoni pasta baked in a sun-dried tomato sauce that’s cheesy and so delicious! The secret to this one-pan pasta? Cooking the pasta in red wine. No boiling water, no extra pans! This is the perfect fall and winter dish to serve any night of the week. But is equally awesome for your next Saturday night dinner. It’s delicious and looks pretty on any table…not to mention that everyone LOVES a GOOD baked pasta. This pasta dish will be your new go-to!
It’s about this time every year, that I really lean into those recipes that I know my family will love most. The week before Thanksgiving is usually when family members begin to slowly arrive…my brothers, cousins, all the girlfriends, and a few other strays that always seem to trickle in.
This year, things are looking pretty different, just my siblings and cousins (who kind of became siblings when my aunt passed). Even though our gathering will be smaller, I still wanted to keep some of my same traditions alive. Enter this pasta. It’s one of those recipes that feeds a crowd, and definitely one of those dinners that makes everyone happy.
I love serving a simple baked pasta on everyone’s first night back home for Thanksgiving and or Christmas. I usually add a side salad and some beer bread. It’s always the perfect dinner to welcome everyone back home during the days leading up to Thanksgiving. It’s easy for me to prepare, and the perfect simple but delicious dinner. It pretty much says, “welcome home for the holidays, cozy up, and stay awhile”.
Such a cheesy line, but I’m all about cheesy these days.
Since so many of our holiday plans are different, I wanted to share a recipe that would give everyone that same feeling of comfort. Nothing really beats a home-cooked meal, but I figure if you can’t go home, why not bring a little of “home” to your kitchen.
I mean, right? Yes, yes. Of course. Thankfully this is easy to prepare, so whether you love cooking or are just a beginner in the kitchen, this is easy enough that we can all recreate it…
Hello to one pan and done.
Here are the details.
This is a pasta I’ve been making for a while now. It’s the recipe I fall back on when I’m busy and have zero time to put in any effort for dinner. Kind of what I call the effortless dinner.
You ready for this? Add every single ingredient to a large baking dish. Add water, then cover the dish and bake. No boiling water, no pots, nothing fancy at all.
Once everything is mixed up in the baking dish, simply add the water right into the dish. I know it may seem odd, but trust me, it works. Just cover with foil and bake until that cheese is bubbly. Cooking the pasta together with the sauce saves you from additional prep work and having to break out another pot. Not sure about you guys, but I am all about fewer dishes.
Easy, right? YES. But yet the outcome is DELICIOUS.
Here are some keys for success.
First, you want to use a short cut pasta for this. Since we’re cooking the pasta all together in the baking dish, the short cut is able to more evenly cook. I love using rigatoni, but you can use any short cut pasta you love!
Second, the red wine. Of course, if you don’t drink wine you can omit this and swap for chicken or vegetable broth. Make this work for you. But if you do enjoy wine, use the wine. It adds a richness that really compliments the sun-dried tomatoes within the sauce.
And that brings me to the tomatoes. I like to use a mix of crushed tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. The sun-dried tomatoes are KEY for adding flavor to this. You’re going to use both the tomatoes and that oil left behind in the jar. Between the herbed oil and the sweet tomatoes, you’ll get so much flavor from just one ingredient.
And lastly, the cheeses! Four types of cheese are better than one…right? Of course. I used a combination of melty fontina cheese, asiago, parmesan, and sharp provolone. ‘Tis a delicious combination, but feel free to use whatever cheese you have on hand. All cheese is good cheese.
And that is it. This takes only about an hour to prepare. Then you’ll have cheesy baked pasta ready for eating….and your kitchen will still be semi-clean! But even more importantly, it’s going to smell like an Italian grandma’s kitchen. It’s an amazing aroma, and trust me, this rigatoni tastes even better. Think saucy, but still heavy on the pasta, with a good amount of seasonings and herbs. The wine and tomatoes add a hearty richness, and all that cheese on top…well that’s the best part!
You see, you can’t go wrong with a baked pasta like this. My one tip? To make this dish fancy…ish, serve it topped with fried oregano and a bottle of red wine. Perfect for these long November and December nights.
Looking for other easy pasta bakes? Here are my favorites:
One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake
Slow Roasted Mushroom Pasta with Crisp Rosemary Chickpeas
Roasted Red Pepper Alla Vodka Pasta with Cheesy Oregano Breadcrumbs
Lastly, if you make this One Pan 4 Cheese Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta Bake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pan 4 Cheese Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Pasta Bake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 473 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed san marzano tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes oil drained, but reserved
- 1 (10 ounce) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- kosher salt and black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup red wine or chicken broth
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup cubed fontina cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated asiago cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded provolone
- fresh basil, parsley, or oregano, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. 2. To the baking dish, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes...plus 3 tablespoons of the oil left in the jar, the spinach, garlic, basil, oregano, red wine, and 1 1/2 cups water. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the dry pasta, fontina cheese, asiago, and parmesan, tossing to coat. Push down gently on the pasta to submerge it. Sprinkle the provolone evenly over top. 3. Rub the underside of a piece of foil with oil. Tightly cover the baking dish with the foil, oiled side facing down. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15- 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with fresh herbs.
Have just made this for our family supper on New Year’s Day.
It went down a treat and they all loved it. Will definitely make again. Thank you.
Hey Jacqueline,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
I made this for our Christmas Eve dinner (along with your basil chicken saltimbocca) and what a hit! Everyone went back for more (even the persnickety kids). Thank you Tieghan for another impressive and delicious meal:)
Hi Meg,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Hi! Can you make this a day ahead and refrigerate/freeze it?
Hey Allison,
You bet! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Ended up making and cooking it fresh and it was SO delicious! Will be saving this as a fam favorite – thank you!
Hi Allison,
Fantastic! Love hearing that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. xTieghan
Can you use fresh spinach?
Hey Tonya,
Yes, I would just cook it down first. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I intend to use red wine instead of the chicken broth. Is there a particular type of wine you recommend? OR can I use vegetable broth instead
I’m cooking for vegetarians, so wine is okay but chicken is not
Hi there,
Veggie broth will work well or I like to use a cabernet Sauvignon. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ve made this many times now and I love it. The pasta cooks perfectly and I love the crunchy pasta pieces on top. I have played around with the recipe – doubling the spinach, adding a small jar of store-bought sauce, using whatever cheese I have on hand, etc. and it always comes out fantastic. I make it every time I have leftover red wine in the fridge, and now it’s my favorite pasta dish! Tieghan, I would love another spin on the dump-and-bake pasta to add to my rotation!
Hi Kristen,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Does this recipe require quick cooking pasta? I am confused by some of the comments.
Hi there,
It does not, you can follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can I substitute fresh spinach for frozen spinach?
Hi Holly,
Yes, you will just want to cook it down first:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Hi! How do you think this recipe would turn out using Gluten Free noodles? Would you maybe advise cooking the noodles ahead of time and mixing them in with the other ingredients?
We’ve used GF noodles in some of your other recipes and they turned out great but none of those dishes were a one-pan dinner.
Hi Alisa,
I think you should be just fine following the recipe as is:) Please let me know if you give it a try, I hope you love the dish! xTieghan
Could I substitute zucchini noodles for the pasta? I try to not eat carbs being diabetic.
Hi Colleen,
So sorry, I really would not recommend that for this recipe. You might like something like this:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/pesto-cheese-zucchini-ravioli/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/zucchini-ricotta-lasagna/
I hope this helps! xTieghan
Really disappointed with this recipe. The noodles just do not cook. We followed directions completely. The fact she says it’s takes an hour total is a joke. I find timing off a lot lately in this site. Not sure if you’re trying to make recipes seem quicker/easier but I find it really isn’t accurate a lot of the time.
Hey there,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, what kind of noodles did you use? Was there anything you adjusted? Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
This dish is delightful! However, I agree with a previous reviewer that the pasta did not cook. I decided to pump up the heat a bit (400°). I also ended up adding almost an hour to the cooking time. I checked it every 15 minutes or so and adjusted the time accordingly. I didn’t mind the extra time, more wine for me while I wait! All said and done, a very delicious, comforting dish…perfect for a cold winter night. Thank you Tieghan!!
Hey Liv,
Happy Friday! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! Sorry to hear about your noodles, I’ve never had this issue. xTieghan
I was not able to find quick cook pasta. How can I adjust the recipe for regular pasta?
Hi Jeanie,
I would partially boil your pasta before adding to the dish. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
If I partially boil the pasta do I still need to add the water?
Hi Lauren,
Sorry for any confusion, you do not need to use quick cook pasta here. You can follow the recipe as is with rigatoni, no need to pre-boil it. I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
I threw this together last night, and it was FANTASTIC! I was sloppy with the measurements, so there were more sun dried tomatoes than originally called for, and I used the full 2C of shredded mozzarella (a substitute for Asiago, because they don’t routinely have that in our rural area) in the package. But can that be bad?? NO! This was super-easy and super-flavorful, and will be on short rotation in our house.
Thanks so much for your fun and creative recipes!
Hey Katie,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it. The recipe text says, “Add water, then cover the dish and bake.” However, I don’t see water as a listed ingredient. Am I missing something? Is the recipe narrative really just referencing liquid –and this is the broth in the recipe? Confused and don’t want to end up with unbaked pasta/noodles. Thank you so much for clarifying.
Hi Sarah,
Water is never listed as an ingredients, please follow the recipe instructions as is and add 1 1/2 cups of water. I hope you love the recipe. xTieghan
Many of the noodles did not get done?
Hi Elizabeth,
Sorry to hear this, was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Can you use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Thanks and love your recipes!
Hey Sarah,
Totally, I would just cook it down and drain first. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I love this recipe, it is always a crowd pleaser!!! I have been making it for years. I was wondering why it has been renamed and also tweaked in ingredients? It used to call for burrata not provolone cheese. Is there a reason for the changes?
Hey Sharon,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! I really just like to improve my recipes overtime:) xTieghan
I make this one pan pasta dish for my family all of the time whenever we can all get together because it is soooo easy and they all LOVE IT and ask for it. They have no idea how simple it is to prepare and I just sit at the table and smile as they eat and throw compliments my way. ?
Hey Connie,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
I’m not sure what went wrong – I think it was the recipe baking time vs real baking time. At 40 minutes there was no way I was taking the tinfoil off. Pasta was not anywhere close to be cooked. Final cooking time was well over an hour. In which we ordered and picked up to go pasta because I had no idea if this was going to be edible any time soon. I will try it again but will allow for a lot more time.
Hey Lori,
So sorry to hear this, was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan