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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.
Made this tonight after spotting the (gorgeous) Half-Baked Harvest Cookbook at a friend’s over the weekend, and remembering I could go to the blog for dinner inspiration! I loved how easy the recipe was (flavorful even using broth and not wine), and the huge yield makes me think I should tuck it away for next time a friend has a baby. My husband loved it, too– five stars! 🙂
Hey Audrey,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was a winner! xxT
I made this last night for company – WOW. Everyone loved it. It turned out perfect … wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe. Next time I will try it with sausage (my friends last night are vegetarian). THANK YOU!
Hey Lisa,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Have the best week!? xT
AMAZING! I did add pre cooked Italian sausage and I threw in fresh spinach. Tiegan this will make me loved by all those I cook for. Thank you!!! And thank you even more for being gracious with those who aren’t so gracious when posting comments. Your grace alone makes me coming back. Your recipes are icing on the cake!! Keep being you. You are definitely in your lane! And we are the better for it.
Hey Alicia,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Thanks so much for your kind message:) xxT
I’m excited to try the sun dried pasta recipe. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you love the recipe Mary Jo!!
This was fabulous – loved the one dish meal. I was able to make in the morning and throw it in the oven just before guests arrived. I did add a mixture of ground beef and Italian sausage, as my guests are meat lovers. Loved the added flavors from the wine and the sun-dried tomatoes. Thanks for all of your amazing recipes – you haven’t failed me yet 😉
Hey Liz,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! Thanks for your kind message:) xTieghan
Would you recommend adding artichokes by any chance?
Hi Doris,
Sure, artichokes would be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xxTieghan
Absolutely delicious – not only my (93 year old) mum‘s new favourite!
Simple and easy to prepare from kitchen staples – it smelled deliciously and tasted even better.
Hi Doris,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
literally so confused.
Just made it and ruined dinner.
No where in the ingredients list OR directions says add water on top but if you CAREFULLY read it mentions it above ?!?
I’ve noticed so many times with her recipes that things don’t normally line up with the written notes. Such a bummer.
Hi Hailey,
Sorry to hear you had issues, but step 3 clearly states 1 1/2 cups of water, sorry you missed that. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
This is so good, I have made it three times.
Making it again for our book club in April.
Hi Pat,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend!☀️ xx
You haven’t failed me yet, Tieghan – this was delicious! Simple and oh-so-tasty. I’ve been a fangirl for awhile now. Thank you for the yummy!
Hey Dianne,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving it a try!! Have the best day:) xx
Five young kids who all devoured this. Great way to introduce spinach. The sun dried tomatoes + oil operates almost like a secret flavor enhancer, providing a fabulous burst of flavor over and above the Marzano tomatoes.
Hey Larry,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out!! xx
Hi Tieghen, making this over the weekend. Any meat you might suggest if we wanted to add something?
We just made this for dinner with Italian sausage. I removed the sausage from the casings, pan fried the meat and added the sausage at the same step as the cheese.
Hey Tegan,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
Hi Malloree,
Ground sausage would be a great addition here. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xxT
I Am Looking So Forward to Making This! I Recently Read that U Can Soak Uncooked Pasta for 2 hrs. & Avoid Boiling It to Save Energy. Just Heat then Add Sauce, Etc. & Warm Through. Is This Something That Can Be Used Here?, Provided That All The Water is Still Utilized in the Recipe.
Thanx
Hi there,
Sorry, I have not tested that so I would recommend following this recipe as written. I hope you love it!! xTieghan
Tieghen can this be made the day before then brought to room temp and bake?
Hey Debbie,
Yes, totally, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Tieghan I made this the day before, brought to room temp and baked
It was perfection!
Hi Debbie,
Happy Sunday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try and sharing your feedback! xx
When you baked again, which setting did you use ? Thinking of making tonight for friends who are coming tomorrow for dinner 🙂 thanks
Made this last week for guests – I wanted something I could make ahead and just pop in the oven. It was absolutely delicious! I added a bit of chicken broth before cooking as it looked like it might need a bit more liquid for the pasta to cook through. I also used mixed Italian shredded cheese. Definitely will be making again!
Hi Bonnie,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
I made this tonight and it was so delicious! Love that is it one pan and less clean up! Will definitely be making again!
Hi Mariah,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan