Skip to Content

Veggie Lover’s Rigatoni

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!

veggie lover's rigatoni

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.

ingredients needed to make veggie lover's rigatoni

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. 

veggie lover's rigatoni

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. 

veggie lover's baked rigatoni

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!

veggie lover's rigatoni with melted bubbly cheese

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

rigatoni noodles with sauce, vegetables, and cheese

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

Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

vegetable rigatoni on a plate

Be sure to pin this recipe for later and follow Build Your Bite on Pinterest for all the latest delicious recipes!

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

Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a star rating below!

veggie lover's rigatoni

Veggie Lover's Rigatoni

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

This veggie lover's rigatoni recipe is always a family favorite dinner!

Ingredients

  • 5 oz container of fresh spinach (or 4-6 cups of loose spinach)
  • 10 oz container of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 portobello mushroom caps, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 9 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta
  • 25 oz pasta sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 ¾ cups grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
  2. Toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place them in an even layer on a baking sheet
  3. Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to wilt and burst
  4. Cook the rigatoni pasta to al dente according to the package instructions and set aside
  5. In a large skillet, combine the onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, garlic, dried basil, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  6. 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
  7. Add the spinach and wilt for 2-3 minutes
  8. Add the pasta sauce and stir to combine
  9. Add the cooked tomatoes to the sauce with the other veggies
  10. Mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses together in a bowl
  11. Add 1 cup of the cheese mixture to the veggie pasta sauce and stir it in until melted
  12. Combine the cooked rigatoni pasta with sauce and veggie mixture, then transfer it to a greased 9 by 13 baking dish
  13. Top the rigatoni with the remaining cheese blend
  14. Bake the veggie rigatoni at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 375Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 1283mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 6gSugar: 9gProtein: 19g

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!

veggie rigatoni

Sharing is caring!

Susan

Monday 18th of March 2024

Please note, not all cheese is vegetarian. If the ingredient label says “vegetarian enzyme or vegetarian rennet” or “microbial enzyme “ then it is truly vegetarian.

Jackie

Tuesday 16th of January 2024

Made this for Meatless Monday and it was delish!!! Used whole wheat penne and a 28 oz bottle of Rao’s. Thanks for the recipe.

Nikki

Tuesday 26th of December 2023

This is one of the best things I have ever tasted. My Italian, meat-loving husband gave it an A+.

Joy Shull

Wednesday 27th of December 2023

Love to hear it! So glad you enjoyed the recipe :)

Amy

Friday 22nd of December 2023

Can I use frozen veggie?

Joy Shull

Wednesday 27th of December 2023

No, it will not taste the same

Felicia Afifi

Thursday 12th of October 2023

I made this tonight for dinner. Kindof spur of the moment. We actually wanted to make a meat baked rigatoni but realized we didi not have the sausage it called for. So we switched to vege rigatoni bake and found your recipe. We used the 1/3 of a pound of ground beef that we had plus onion, tons of crimini mushrooms and red bell pepper. Mixed that with the Rao‘s marinara. We had all the cheese and put that together. This was outstanding and just what we wanted. Next time I will make it fully vegetarian. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

Joy Shull

Friday 13th of October 2023

I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the lovely review :)

Skip to Recipe