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5 from 7 reviews

This gluten-free, no-boil pasta bake is weeknight magic! It’s made with gluten-free pasta, ground beef, and spinach and requires zero boiling.

No boil pasta bake in ceramic baking dish.

On those nights when you really don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen but want a delicious home-cooked meal, no-boil pasta is exactly what you need! All you need is to prep this easy dish and bake it in the oven, and you have a delicious casserole-style dish that everyone will love!

This no-boil pasta bake is the perfect quick dinner, made with protein, veggies, and gluten-free pasta!

Why you’ll love this no-boil pasta bake

  • No boiling is required. You don’t have to boil the pasta for this dish on the stove! It’s essentially “boiled” in the oven, so you can skip the step of standing in front of the stove and babysitting the pasta.
  • Protein & veggies. I love a one pan meal that you can pack with both protein and veggies like my unstuffed cabbage roll. This recipe uses a pound of ground beef for protein, and spinach for added veggies, so you can rest assured that this is a complete meal!
  • Dairy optional. Unlike a recipe like baked ziti, you don’t need the cheese to complete this meal, but of course, it’s nice 😉

Recipe Ingredients

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

  • Gluten-free pasta. I personally love the Jovial rice pasta!
  • Ground beef. You can also use ground turkey or ground sausage.
  • Tomato sauce. You can sub my veggie pasta sauce for nightshade-free. Keep in mind that the color may vary.
  • Chicken broth. This adds much more flavor than just water.
  • Spinach.
  • Shredded cheese. You can substitute dairy-free cheese or omit for DF! It really doesn’t need the cheese.
  • Chopped parsley. This is to top the pasta bake.

How to make the No-Boil Pasta Bake

Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.

Uncooked pasta in a baking dish.

Step one. Grease the baking dish and add the uncooked pasta.

No boil pasta bake with uncooked pasta and cooked ground beef.

Step two. Add the cooked ground beef.

No boil pasta bake ingredients unstirred.

Step three. Add the broth, sauce, and seasonings.

No boil pasta bake ingredients stirred.

Step four. Stir well, ensuring the pasta is submerged. Cover and bake.

Cooked no boil pasta bake in a casserole dish.

Step five. Remove the cover once the pasta is baked.

Cooked no boil pasta bake in a casserole dish with spinach stirred in.

Step six. Add the spinach and stir to wilt.

No boil pasta bake topped with uncooked cheese.

Step five. Top with shredded cheese and return to the oven.

No boil pasta bake topped with melted cheese and chopped parsley

Step six. Allow the cheese to melt and serve topped with chopped parsley.

A spoon scooping a no boil pasta bake.

Tips & Tricks

  • Switch up the protein. This recipe would also be great with chicken (like in my no-boil chicken alfredo pasta bake) ground turkey, or sausage.
  • Watch the cook time. The cook time may vary depending on the variety of pasta that you use, so be sure to test the pasta about 3/4th of the way through the cook time to gauge how much more or less time you’ll need. If you need more time, simply add more cook time and more liquid, if the pasta cooks more quickly, use less liquid.

Recipe FAQS

Can you make a no boil pasta bake without the cheese?

You can for sure make this recipe without cheese! It doesn’t need the cheese, but of course, the cheese adds something extra. If you’re dairy-free you can omit the cheese altogether, use a vegan cheese, or simply stir in some nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.

What vegetables can you add to a pasta bake?

I find spinach to be the easiest, but you can also add vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, etc.

Can you use cassava pasta in a pasta bake?

You can use cassava pasta, though it does stick a lot more than the regular pasta, so be sure to grease the dish very well.

Can you use chickpea pasta in a pasta bake?

You likely can, though the cook time may vary. You may have to adjust the liquid levels or the cook time.

No boil pasta bake on a plate covered with melted cheese.

Other gluten-free pasta recipes to check out…

If you tried this No Boil Gluten Free Pasta Bake or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

5 from 7 reviews

No Boil Pasta Bake {Gluten-free}

This no-boil pasta bake is weeknight magic! It’s made with gluten-free pasta, ground beef, spinach, and requires zero boiling.

Ingredients
 

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 12 oz gluten-free pasta, sub cassava pasta for AIP, see notes
  • 1 lb ground beef, cooked
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce, sub 2 cups of nightshade-free marinara or Daylight veggie pasta sauce
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 cup shredded cheese, sub dairy-free cheese or omit for DF
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F and grease a 9×13″ casserole dish with olive oil.
  • Add the pasta, ground beef, chicken broth, tomato sauce, broth, basil, oregano, garlic, onion, salt and pepper to the casserole dish. Stir to combine, making sure that the pasta is mostly covered by the liquid.
  • Cover the casserole dish and transfer to the oven. Allow to bake for 40 minutes.
  • Remove the cover and carefully add the spinach to the pasta, stirring until the spinach wilts. Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
  • Serve topped with fresh parsley.

Notes

 You can use cassava pasta, though it does stick a lot more than the regular pasta, so be sure to grease the dish very well.
You can also use chickpea pasta, though the cooking time may vary depending on the pasta shape and cook time. You may have to adjust the liquid levels or the cooking time.
Serving: 1g, Calories: 431kcal, Carbohydrates: 35.1g, Protein: 44.4g, Fat: 14.1g, Fiber: 3.2g
All nutrition facts are estimated and will vary.
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