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.
No-Boil Pasta Bake
On those nights when you really don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen but want a delicious homecooked 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 recipe is gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free and even nightshade-free.
The Ingredients for the No-Boil Pasta Bake
- 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 nomato sauce for nightshade-free. Keep in mind that the color may vary.
- Chicken broth. This adds much more flavor that just water.
- Olive oil.
- Dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. These are the main seasonings for the pasta bake!
- 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
- Combine. Stir the pasta, ground beef, chicken broth, tomato sauce, broth, basil, oregano, garlic, onion, salt and pepper together.
- Bake. Cover the casserole dish and allow to bake for 40 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the pasta. Stir until the spinach wilts.
- Top with cheese if desired. Return to the oven for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Top with fresh parsley.
Can you make this recipe 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
- Use a vegan cheese
- Stir in nutritional yeast to the pasta to give it a cheesy flavor
Can you make this pasta bake without the spinach?
Yes! You can also add vegetables like…
- Broccoli
- Chopped zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Artichoke hearts
- etc.
Can you make this pasta bake without the beef?
Yes! You can also use…
- Ground turkey
- Ground sausage
How long does this pasta bake stay fresh in the fridge?
You can easily store this dish in the fridge for 2-3 days, even up to 4.
Can you use cassava pasta for this recipe?
You can, though it does stick a lot more than the regular pasta, so be sure to grease the dish very well.
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No Boil Pasta Bake {Gluten-free}
- Total Time: 55
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
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 nomato sauce for nightshade free)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 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
All nutritional facts are estimates and will vary.
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.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 431
- Fat: 14.1
- Carbohydrates: 35.1
- Fiber: 3.2
- Protein: 44.4
AIP
Low Carb
Paleo
Whole30
Hi would this no-boil technique work with cassava Jovial pasta?
You can, though it does stick a lot more than the regular pasta, so be sure to grease the dish very well.
You can use Jovial Cassava pasta, though it does stick a lot more than the regular pasta, so be sure to grease the dish very well.
Just made this after seeing you make it on IG. Sooooo good my husband and I both had seconds and I made it easily while holding my baby. Yummm!!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed!
Can I omit the tomato sauce?
I wouldn’t recommend omitting the tomato sauce, but you can substitute Nomato Sauce for a nightshade-free option. My recipe for Nomato Sauce can be found here: https://unboundwellness.com/nomato-sauce/
This is super easy and my whole family loved it-was such a treat! I made it with cassava noodles and added some raw goat milk cheese. My dad told me he would pay me to make it for him again and he’s usually more picky!
YUM!
This is the easiest weeknight meal! Going on my list of absolute favorites!
My family LOVED this recipe!!! So easy to make and my husband and 3 kids raved about it. Thank you so much! They even ate the spinach with no complaints…miracle!
★★★★★
So glad your family enjoyed!!
Could I freeze this for an easy postpartum meal?
The cooked pasta may not freeze very well, but let me know if you try it!
Made this tonight! Added veggies – zucchini, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, sundried tomatoes. Used rice pasta. Put in nutritional yeast. Then did sliced fresh mozzarella on top after 40 mins and baked that for 5 min. So delicious!!!!!!!!
Yum, sounds great!!
Did you brown the ground beef before you mixed with pasta?
Yes, I brown the meat before adding it to the bake.
Can this be mixed the night before & stored in fridge to bake the next day? Wondering if GF pasta would do ok with this method.
I wouldn’t as the pasta may soak up some of the liquid. You can brown the ground beef the night before, and then the rest of it is really quick to combine!
Fast, easy and delicious! It was even good leftover! This will for sure be on our rotation!
★★★★★
So glad you all enjoyed!!
Is the pasta precooked? The recipe doesn’t say. TY
Nope, you don’t need to boil the pasta beforehand!
This recipe has become a household favorite! So delicious! I’m going to be making this for a family that just had a baby. I’m going to make it first thing in the morning, refrigerate it, and then deliver it to the family later in the evening. How would you suggest reheating this pasta bake?
I’m so glad! You can always microwave it, but you can also reheat it in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes!
You have figured out it the perfect ratio to make this quick, easy and delicious! Thank you
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
So just to be clear, you don’t cook the ground beef beforehand?
You do cook the ground beef, but don’t cook the pasta beforehand!
We have a chicken allergy in our family. Have you made this with beef broth instead?
I haven’t made it, but it should work!
What kind of cheese did you use? Cheddar, mozzarella…?
Any Italian cheese or cheese blend like mozzarella/provolone!
This meal is so delicious and such a quick, easy, meal to throw together! Our whole family loved it! Thank you so much.
★★★★★
yay, so glad!!
So I don’t have to prepare the pasta before? I put it in the dish still hard?
Yes, you add the pasta uncooked and it cooks in the oven with all the other ingredients.
What dairy free cheese do you recommend? I have had trouble finding one that melted.