4 Ingredient Pesto Baked Rigatoni Recipe

By Becky Hardin

Updated Jul 6, 2026

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This baked rigatoni recipe is one of my go-to weeknight meals as it’s quick and easy to prepare. With just 4 ingredients, I can easily get this dish on the table in about 30 minutes. Packed full of flavor with pesto, crushed tomatoes, and loads of cheese, I find it’s a great comfort food dinner that the whole family will love.

Cheesy Baked Rigatoni

There’s nothing I love more than a comforting pasta meal I can get on the table in about 30 minutes. Even better is one that everyone at the table will eat. Well, this baked rigatoni is just that meal. I take al dente pasta, toss it with pesto sauce and ground tomatoes, then layer it with mozzarella cheese. I bake it until it’s bubbly and gooey and serve it up with a few sides for a complete meal.

This quick and easy 4-ingredient dinner is one of my favorite weeknight meals. It comes together in about 30 minutes and feeds my family of four, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

Tips for Beginners

• Cook the pasta al dente. Be careful not to overcook the pasta, or it will become too soft once baked.
• Spray your casserole dish. With all the cheese I put in this baked pasta, it is bound to stick to the dish if I don’t give it a good spray of non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can grease the dish with olive oil.
• Homemade pesto also works. Though store-bought makes this dish come together in minutes, when I have the time, I’ll whip up a homemade basil walnut pesto. This homemade pesto will yield enough for this baked pasta with leftovers.

Recipe Card

Cheesy Pesto Baked Rigatoni

Difficulty: Easy

4.68 from 50 votes

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Author: Becky Hardin

Print Rate Pin

This baked rigatoni recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Simple and easy to make with just 4 ingredients, this dish is on the table in about 30 minutes.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb. rigatoni
• ▢ ¼ cup reserved pasta water up to ¼ cup
• ▢ 6.35 oz. pesto (1 jar)
• ▢ 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• ▢ fresh basil chopped

Video

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
  1 lb. rigatoni
• Once al dente, remove from the water and drain, reserving ¼ cup of water.
• Place pasta in a large bowl while still hot and add the water (enough to make it a bit saucy, but not too much), the pesto, and crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine.
  6.35 oz. pesto, 1 cup crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup reserved pasta water
• Spray a 9×13" baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Layer half the pasta in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat.
  2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Bake for 20 minutes or until melty and bubbly.
• Serve garnished with chopped basil.
  fresh basil

Becky’s Tips

• Cook the pasta al dente so it’s the perfect texture once baked. 
• Coat the baking dish with cooking spray so it’s easy to portion without sticking.  
• Homemade basil walnut pesto tastes great if you have the time to prepare it. 
• Store leftovers for up to 4 days. 

Serving: 1servingCalories: 521kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 20gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 572mgPotassium: 315mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 944IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 266mgIron: 2mg

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

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Store

Any leftovers will be good for about 3 or 4 days too, just keep them covered in the fridge.

Reheat

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.

Make Ahead

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.

Freeze

Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

This pesto baked rigatoni is a hearty and tasty meal, but I like to pair it with a fresh caprese salad and a side of homemade garlic bread for a complete meal. Sometimes I’ll add a veggie like air fryer broccoli or grilled asparagus. This baked rigatoni makes the perfect weeknight meal as I can get it on the table in about 30 minutes. I can usually get enough for my family of 4 with a small amount of leftovers for lunch the next day.

More Baked Pasta Recipes To Try

• In this Baked Ziti Without Ricotta, I use pantry staples like dried pasta and jarred marinara sauce, and throw in cream cheese for a rich, cheesy dish.
• Pasta Primavera with Cream Cheese Alfredo features colorful vegetables coated with a cream cheese Alfredo sauce that’s baked to perfection.
• This Baked Mostaccioli has tender pasta I toss in a rich and hearty Italian meat sauce, which I top with a combination of ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese.

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