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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.
I found that some of the pasta was not cooked enough. Still crunchy.
Hi Shirley,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you may have adjusted? Can I help in any way? Let me know! xTieghan
Can I subsitute with banza chickpea rigatoni?
Hey there,
Sure, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Absolutely mouth-watering! Everything you create is delicious! I am making this again tonight and can’t wait.
Hi Chantal,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your review and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! xxTieghan
Another amazing recipe; an instant favourite! I love how I am never disappointed by your recipes. I am always confident to try out one of your recipes, knowing that most probably it’ll turn out amazing. That is such a talent Tieghan!
I cooked this dish for me and my husband and it turned out so rich and fulfilling! I used local cheeses trying to keep as close as possible to the ones you suggested. We both loved it and definitely going to be cooking it again! This is vegetarian dish that could easily stand as the main dish of a Sunday family gathering!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback!! Thank you so much for your kind message and giving so many recipes a try:)
Can I add cooked chopped chicken breast? My men need their meat and my son has a friend visiting who is Kosher. Thx!
Hi Wendy,
Sure, that would be okay for you to use! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I loved the idea of this, but wasn’t impressed by the result. Like many ‘one pot’ things, it lacked depth of flavor. Maybe using chicken broth in place of wine would change that? I loved the cheese texture + flavor, but everything else tasted like wine-spinach, which I didn’t particularly love. I do love many other recipes on this site, though, and will absolutely be trying others.
Hi Brooke,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed! xTieghan
This was the perfect combination of simple and flavourful! Will most definitely become a staple in our vegetarian home. I was also pleasantly surprised that it didn’t cause me any stomach upsets from my history of acid reflux. I also love that you could easily add extra vegetables to add variety!
Hi Janis,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xTieghan
This really does have a GREAT flavor but my pasta came out a little too al dente as I cooked to the timing in the instructions. Will definitely need to add more time to the baking.
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! Sorry to hear the pasta was too al dente for you! Please let me know if there is any way that I can help! xTieghan
Does the spinach have to be frozen or can it be fresh?
Hi Sofija,
You could use fresh spinach, but I would cook it down and drain it first. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xx
My husband & I loved, loved, loved this recipe. Due to his tomato allergy, I swapped out the can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes with roasted red bell peppers & I added marinated artichoke hearts. It was amazing!!
Next time i make this dish, & it will be very very soon, I might add mushrooms also!!
Hey Nancy,
Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! ??xTieghan
Can you assemble this in advance and put in the fridge to cook later ?
Hey Kerry,
Totally, that will work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, let me know if you give it a try! xx
I make this every time we get guests in from out of town. Feeds several! Most importantly, it is so delicious. So many people compliment this dish every time.. had to leave a review! It does take a little longer to bake to get it where I want it.. soft and ooey gooey but that’s no big deal. This recipe is easy to make ahead of time and easy to pop in an hour before dinner! Love it and will make it for years to come! Thank you!!!
Hi Gabriela,
Thanks so much for your kind message and making this recipe so often, love to hear that it is always enjoyed! xTieghan
After about a year of having this on my cue I finally made it. Super easy and so delicious. I added red onion and mushrooms to mine. Bomb! Thanks for the inspiration. ?
Best regards, Angela from https://kingessays.com service.
Hey Angela,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
Can’t wait to make this tonight. I was curious if it freezes well. There’s only 2 of us and would like to freeze leftovers for another night.
Hey Nancy!
Yes, you can totally freeze this! I hope you love the pasta, let me know how it turns out! xx
I would love make this and wish to use red wine. I no experience with cooking with red wine and was wondering if you could recommend a brand to use.
Thank you.
Hi Deirdre,
I like to use a Cabernet Sauvignon, my family likes Decoy or Stag’s Leap. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
TY – was looking for this info as I’m not a red wine drinker due to migraine and there’s so many kinds lol. Probably making in 2 wks, then will leave my review!
Can you use fresh baby spinach instead of frozen?
Thank you! Love your recipes!!!
Hi Jennifer,
You bet, just cook it down and drain first:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Fresh spinach works great without pre-cooking since it cooks so long in the oven – we like to saute it with olive oil and garlic for a nice hit of flavor.
This was REALLY good and SO EASY!!!! I made it exactly as the recipe was written, but next time would totally try adding cooked Italian sausage.
Hey Amanda,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!!☀️ xTieghan