Make getting dinner on the table super easy with this no boil rigatoni and meatball casserole. It takes almost no prep work and results in a tasty and filling meal.

Dinner plate with no boil rigatoni and meatballs, sauteed zucchini and a hunk of cheesy garlic bread.

This tasty bake pasta recipe is beyond simple to make, you don’t even have to boil water! Just put everything in a pan and bake it to melty cheese and saucy pasta perfection.

With school starting back up and fall sports in full swing, weeknights are going to be busy for a while. That doesn’t mean we can’t make a tasty supper for our family.

Baked pasta recipes are always popular at the dinner table. They are hearty and delicious.

But a lot of casserole style pasta recipes require boiling the pasta and browning some meat before it is assembled. Then it still needs to be baked.

That is a lot to ask on a busy day. So luckily there are shortcuts to make them faster and easier.

Ingredients for no boil baked pasta with meatballs.

Plate of rigatoni and meatball casserole with garlic bread and zucchini next to remaining casserole.

For the last year or two I have been falling in love with these shortcuts. It all started with no boil macaroni and cheese.

That recipe quickly became a favorite and makes for a perfect winter side dish or even a meatless entree. Then came no boil Italian sausage and pasta casserole.

I even turned Mimi’s baked ziti recipe into an even easier no boil baked ziti. Both are creamy, cheesy and delicious.

Making the Casserole

All you have to do is toss a box of pasta into a baking dish. Add a mixture of sauce, water or stock, and some seasonings.

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Top with meatballs and some foil and bake it until the pasta is al dente. Remove the foil and add some cheese.

uncooked pasta and tomato sauce in baking dish ready for oven.

Uncooked pasta and tomato sauce in dish with frozen meatballs ready for the oven.

Bake uncovered until the liquid is mostly absorbed and the cheese is melted. Allow to rest for a few minutes amd serve with garlic bread and a salad or broccoli.

It is so easy to make it just might end up making the menu every week!

Cooked pasta and meatball casserole ready for cheese topping.

Baked pasta casserole with meatballs and golden brown melted cheese on top.

More Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas

Creamy spaghetti and meatballs in the instant pot is another great way to turn a box of pasta and some frozen meatballs into a fabulous dinner.

Whip up some creamy chicken and spinach risotto in the instant pot. It is another great easy all in one meal.

Close up of baked rigatoni and meatballs.

Or make some copycat hamburger helper stroganoff. It’s as easy as the box stuff, but tastes even better!

No boil pizza pasta casserole combines all of your favorite pizza toppings with the comfort of baked pasta. The best part is you don’t even have to boil the noodles first, so assembly is quick and easy.

4.83 from 29 ratings

No Boil Rigatoni and Meatball Bake

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings

Make getting dinner on the table super easy with this no boil rigatoni and meatball bake. It takes almost no prep work and results in a tasty and filling meal.

Prep: 10

Cook: 1

Total: 1 10

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
Stir together pasta sauce, water and seasonings.
24 oz jar spaghetti sauce, 3½ cups water or chicken stock, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon salt
Add uncooked pasta and sauce mixture to prepared pan, top with frozen meatballs. Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes.
12 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta, 1 lb frozen meatballs
Remove foil (the pasta won’t be all the way cooked, but the liquid should be bubbling and partially absorbed), sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes longer.
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days.

Notes

Feel free to use other tube shaped pasta. Shells or pasta shapes with lots of texture and curves should work as well.