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.
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!
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.
Best baked pasta dish of all time! Even my bf loved it and he’s not a big veggie guy. Don’t put any more thought into what’s for dinner, MAKE THIS! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
This is delicious!!! I followed directions exactly aside from using a little less rigatoni. Love all the veggies in it and didn’t miss the meat. Will definitely make this often. So yummy!
My husband is not a pasta lover like me. However, he enjoyed this recipe. It was simple to make and roasting the tomatoes made all the difference. I used fresh Parmesan that I grated myself because fresh cheese makes all the difference. I will definitely make this recipe again. After dinner I had to put the leftovers in the fridge to keep from eating more. It is absolutely delicious. I have tried a lot of pasta dishes only to find them bland. This recipe is great and full of flavor. I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
Wow ! It was delish! I followed recipe completely and it has the best flavor ! I could eat a whole bunch more than a serving !
Thanks so much for sharing this !
Yummm!!
@Gayle, I agree. I don’t know how people get 16 oz of pasta in this. I was relieved to know I wasn’t the on,y one. Half the amount called for would be better, or use much more sauce.
Really satisfying. I actually make the night before for the next night.
Cam you freeze leftovers? Or how long will they last in the fridge?
@Roshni, I am making this today to divide into individual freezer meals. I will let you know next week how well it works for me.
Best baked pasta dish of all time! Even my bf loved it and he’s not a big veggie guy. Don’t put any more thought into what’s for dinner, MAKE THIS! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Just what I was looking for- a recipe that tastes great with stuff we already had around the house. Very good!
This was delicious. My 2 year old said “yummy!”. It was a winner. Im not a vegetarian, but I am encouraged to cook more meatless meals now. Thank you!
This is delicious!!! I followed directions exactly aside from using a little less rigatoni. Love all the veggies in it and didn’t miss the meat. Will definitely make this often. So yummy!
@Christina, I agree with a little less pasta
Made this today and was great!
Makes a lot.
Recipe is a keeper.
My husband is not a pasta lover like me. However, he enjoyed this recipe. It was simple to make and roasting the tomatoes made all the difference. I used fresh Parmesan that I grated myself because fresh cheese makes all the difference. I will definitely make this recipe again. After dinner I had to put the leftovers in the fridge to keep from eating more. It is absolutely delicious. I have tried a lot of pasta dishes only to find them bland. This recipe is great and full of flavor. I am looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Wow ! It was delish! I followed recipe completely and it has the best flavor ! I could eat a whole bunch more than a serving !
Thanks so much for sharing this !
Yummm!!
I used mini rigatoni and could only fit in half- or 8 oz! Did everybody have to use a different pasta to get in the full amount?
@Heather, I fixed 16 oz first time. Waaay too much. This time made 10 oz. Still too much. I think 8 might be plenty.
@Gayle, I agree. I don’t know how people get 16 oz of pasta in this. I was relieved to know I wasn’t the on,y one. Half the amount called for would be better, or use much more sauce.