Sausage Pasta Bake

This sausage pasta bake is one of those easy weeknight dinners that's cheesy and delicious. The pasta goes in uncooked, the sausage goes in uncooked, and everything bakes together in one dish with marinara, broth, mozzarella, and Parmesan.

❤️ Why You'll Love this Sausage Pasta Bake

✅ Cheesy marinara pasta without boiling the pasta first
✅ A hit with kids and adults
✅ Impressive enough for entertaining
✅ Only 15 minutes to put together and the oven does the rest of the work!

And if you this, be sure to check out my Creamy Chicken Orzo Pasta, old-fashioned chicken and rice casserole, or my chicken and dumplings in a slow cooker.

Recipe Testing Notes

After testing this as a true no-boil pasta bake, I found the most important step is covering the dish tightly with foil. That trapped steam is what cooks the pasta evenly and keeps the top from drying out. Don't peek - I know it's tempting, but every time you open the oven, you lose heat and steam.

I like using rigatoni because it holds up well in the oven and gives the sauce room to tuck inside the pasta. I also prefer grating the mozzarella myself because it melts creamier than pre-shredded cheese.

The pasta bake is done when the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the sausage is fully cooked to 160°F.

👩‍🍳 Key Ingredients

• Marinara sauce: You can use your favorite store-bought marinara or make your own homemade.
• Chicken broth: It cooks the pasta while infusing it with flavor.
• Garlic: You can add more or less depending on your love for garlic.
• Italian seasoning or dried basil: A mix of oregano, thyme, and rosemary gives this dish a burst of herby goodness.
• Uncooked rigatoni
• Italian sausage (uncooked): Italian or regular sausage brings bold, savory flavors to the dish.
• Block mozzarella, grated: I personally lean toward 16 ounces because you can never have too much cheese, right? It adds that beautiful creamy layer on top.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional): For a bit of heat.

👩‍🍳 How to Make this Sausage Pasta Bake

1. Add the Pasta
   Add half of the uncooked pasta to the prepared baking dish.

2. Add Sausage Scatter half of the sausage over the top by breaking it into pieces and dropping it onto the pasta.

3. Add Ingredients
   Pour the marinara mixture over the top. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan, then repeat the layers.

4. Bake
   Cover tightly and bake.

Substitutions and Additions

• Substitute chicken sausage or ground beef for the sausage.  (if using hamburger season it with salt liberally.)
• Use penne or other similar-shaped pasta instead of the rigatoni. Just note- if the pasta is thicker, it may take a little longer to cook.
• Add Vegetables as a variation: Mushrooms or spinach are great choices.
• Add 1 cup of ricotta for a creamy version.

🪄 Tips and Tricks Boil Sausage Pasta Bake

• Use a sturdy pasta shape. Rigatoni works well because it holds its shape and gives the sauce room to tuck inside. Penne or ziti can also work, but the bake time may vary slightly.
• Break the sausage into small pieces. Smaller pieces cook more evenly and spread flavor throughout the whole pasta bake.
• Press the pasta into the sauce. Before covering the dish, gently press the pasta down so most of it is tucked into the liquid.
• Use whole milk mozzarella if you can. It melts creamier than part-skim mozzarella, and grating it yourself gives you the best texture.
• Check the pasta before serving. If the pasta is still too firm after baking, cover the dish again and bake another 10 minutes. Add 2-4 tablespoons of water or broth if it looks dry.
• Broil for a bubbly top. If you want more color on the cheese, remove the foil at the end and broil for 1-2 minutes. Watch it closely.

🗒 Best served with

• Mixed Greens Salad
• French Bread or Garlic Bread
• Red Wine 🍷

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Add a splash of water, broth, or marinara when reheating to loosen the pasta.

More Easy Pasta Dishes

If you make this Sausage Pasta Bake, I'd love to know! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @Lauren_Lane_Culinarian - I always reshare your creations.

Sausage Pasta Bake

Lauren Lane

This sausage Pasta Bake has become one of my go-to dishes. It's incredibly easy because there's no need to pre-boil the pasta or cook the sausage.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 people

Calories 736 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  1 9x13 baking dish

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ Butter or cooking spray for the baking dish.
• ▢ One 24-26-ounce jar marinara sauce
• ▢ 3 cups chicken broth or stock
• ▢ ½ onion grated
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon dried Italian seasoning or dried basil.
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• ▢ 1 pound uncooked rigatoni or other similar shaped pasta
• ▢ 1 pound Italian sausage or turkey sausage or hamburger
• ▢ 8-16 ounces fresh mozzarella shredded from a block of cheese
• ▢ 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
• ▢ Crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the butter, or non-stick cooking spray.
• Stir together the marinara, chicken broth, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
• Spread half of the uncooked pasta in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared dish. Scatter half of the sausage over the top by breaking into pieces and dropping it onto the pasta. Pour half of the marinara mixture over the top. Add ⅓ the mozzarella and ½ the parmesan. Repeat with the remaining uncooked pasta, sausage, marinara mixture, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Try to press the pasta into the liquid as much as possible.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the pasta is al dente, about 40-50 minutes. (don't peek)
• The pasta bake is done when the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the sausage is fully cooked to 160°F.
• Remove from the oven. Serve with more Parmesan, a green salad, and crusty bread if desired.

Video

Notes

• If the pasta isn't done after 50 minutes, cover it again and bake for another 10 minutes. If it looks dry, add 2-4 tablespoons of water before returning it to the oven.
  Cover the dish tightly with foil. The steam is what cooks the pasta.
  Don’t peek while it bakes. Opening the oven lowers the temperature and can make the pasta take longer to cook.
  The pasta bake is done when the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the sausage is fully cooked to 160°F.
  If all the cheese hasn’t melted after the pasta has finished cooking, remove the foil and broil just until melted. Watch closely because it melts fast.
  To halve the recipe, cut the ingredients in half and bake in an 8x8 dish.
  I like using 8 to 16 ounces of whole milk mozzarella, depending on how cheesy you like it. Grate it yourself for the best melt.
  See the blog post for substitutions and variations.

Nutrition

Calories: 736kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 36gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1886mgPotassium: 466mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 394IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 444mgIron: 3mg

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