This veggie lover’s baked rigatoni is packed full of cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, and spinach. A hearty and delicious vegetarian dinner!
This veggie packed rigatoni recipe is a family favorite!
This veggie lover’s baked rigatoni has been a reader favorite over the years and is the best vegetable pasta bake. It’s been made by thousands of readers and become a family favorite pasta recipe.
It’s one of my favorite vegetarian recipes along with my Vegetarian Baked Ziti.
Packed full of tons of fresh veggies, hearty rigatoni pasta, and topped with the perfect mixture of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Read the reviews and you will be convinced!
Just like my Roasted Vegetable Pasta, roasted veggies are the star of the show here.
As a vegetarian, I’ve eaten quite a bit of pasta in my day, but this is one of the best I’ve ever eaten!
My mission was to create a deliciously cheesy pasta that was heavy on both flavor and veggies so that it didn’t sit as heavy as other pastas can on my stomach.
We’re going all in on this pasta with cherry tomatoes, onions, fresh garlic, mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini and spinach! A true veggie lover’s perfect pasta recipe.
How to make veggie lover’s baked rigatoni
Step 1: Toss the cherry tomatoes with the olive oil and place them in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until they start to wilt and burst. This brings out such a lovely flavor in the tomatoes!
Step 2: Cook your rigatoni according to instructions and set aside. While the rigatoni is cooking, start cooking your vegetables. In a large skillet, combine the onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, garlic, dried basil, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 3: Sautee the vegetables on medium high heat for 12-15 minutes, or until the liquid is released and vegetables have started to cook down. Add the spinach and wilt for several minutes, continuing to stir.
Step 4: Add the pasta sauce and stir to combine it with the vegetables. We like to use Raos brand for the best flavor.
Step 5: Add the cooked tomatoes to the sauce with the other veggies and stir. Mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses together in a bowl. Add 1 cup of the cheese mixture to the veggie pasta sauce and stir it up.
Step 6: Combine the cooked rigatoni noodles with the veggie pasta sauce and transfer the mixture to a greased 13 by 9 baking dish.
Step 7: Top the pasta with the remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese, then bake until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Serve and enjoy!
I love the texture and firmness of rigatoni, and it doesn’t get soggy quickly when baking, making it perfect for this pasta bake. Beautifully symmetrical pasta with tons of veggies and crispy pieces of cheese on top.
Freaking delish! We are new to the world of veggies but this dish here let’s me know what we’ve been missing! I followed the directions and it came out perfect!
I used a blend of mozzarella and parmesan on top of the pasta and cooked it just long enough for the cheese to melt and start to get a little browned on top. Those browned bits will be your favorite bites!
If you want it more browned on top, simply broil the pasta for the last 1-3 minutes, watching closely.
I love this recipe! We are trying to eat vegetarian every other day. This meal is filling and satisfying. – Kasey
This makes a huge 13 by 9 casserole dish and we enjoyed the leftovers for several days. Serve as is or with some red pepper flakes on top if you like a little heat! You can’t go wrong with this delicious rigatoni recipe.
More Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
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easy butter noodles
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vegetarian baked spaghetti
sweet potato pasta
Rigatoni Pasta FAQs
How do I store the leftovers?
Leftover rigatoni pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Can I use a different kind of noodle?
Yes. Penne noodles would make a great substitute.
Do I have to bake this?
Not if you don’t want to! You can serve it straight from the skillet if you want and top with the leftover cheeses when serving.
Veggie Lover’s Rigatoni
Joy Shull
This veggie lover's rigatoni recipe is always a family favorite dinner!
4.47 from 403 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 25 minutesmins
Total Time 55 minutesmins
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 441kcal
Ingredients
5ozfresh spinacharound 4-6 cups
10ozcherry tomatoes
1large yellow oniondiced
2portobello mushroom capsdiced
1green bell pepperdiced
1medium zucchinidiced
9clovesgarlicminced
1lbrigatoni pasta
25ozpasta sauce
1teaspoonsalt
2teaspoonsdried basil
½teaspoonpepper
1 ¾cupsgrated parmesan cheese
2cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place them in an even layer on a baking sheet
Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to wilt and burst
Cook the rigatoni pasta to al dente according to the package instructions and set aside
In a large skillet, combine the onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, garlic, dried basil, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Sautee on medium high heat for 12-15 minutes, or until liquid is released and vegetables have started to cook down. Stir every few minutes
Add the spinach and wilt for 2-3 minutes
Add the pasta sauce and stir to combine
Add the cooked tomatoes to the sauce with the other veggies
Mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses together in a bowl
Add 1 cup of the cheese mixture to the veggie pasta sauce and stir it in until melted
Combine the cooked rigatoni pasta with sauce and veggie mixture, then transfer it to a greased 9 by 13 baking dish
Top the rigatoni with the remaining cheese blend
Bake the veggie rigatoni at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown
Combine the mashed potatoes, beaten egg, breadcrumbs, spices, shredded cheese, and chopped veggies in a bowl. Stir well. Scoop out a rounded tablespoon of the mixture and form it into a ball using your hands. Repeat until you make 24 veggie bites.
Rigatoni, which comes from the word “rigato” meaning ridged, are short, wide tubes of pasta that have ridges on the outside, but are smooth on the inside. Rigatoni are perfect for big chunkier sauces as their ridges and wide center help capture the sauce perfectly.
Veggie straws are a tasty and fun snack but by no means a way to increase your daily vegetable intake. Whole vegetables provide you with a lot of fiber and nutrients without the added oils and salt that veggie straws contain.
CRUNCHY VEGGIES – Good Health Veggie Straws are made with real, simple ingredients like spinach, broccoli and beets. The hearty crunch and delicious taste will arrive at your door fresh directly from the manufacturer.
The word rigatoni comes from the Italian word rigato (that stands for 'lined', 'striped', 'ruled', rigatone being the augmentative, and rigatoni the plural form), which means 'ridged' or 'lined', and is associated with the cuisine of southern and central Italy.
Rigatoni takes its name from the Italian rigati, “ridged.” The semolina dough is pressed through a ridged mold, forming lengthwise striations all around the pasta, which is then cut into bite-size pieces and dried or cooked immediately.
TVP is usually made from high (50%) soy protein, soy flour or concentrate, but can also be made from cottonseed, wheat, and oats. It is extruded into various shapes (chunks, flakes, nuggets, grains, and strips) and sizes, exiting the nozzle while still hot and expanding as it does so.
Veggie straws are typically fried and contain little nutrients. These would not be considered a substitute for getting proper nutrition that you would get by eating whole vegetables because generally, these products contain an insufficient amount of vegetables per serving.
Make the veggie balls by combining flour and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix well and then gradually add water while mixing. Add carrot, green onion, kalabasa, and green peas. Mix well.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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