This oven-baked 5-ingredient garlic Alfredo rigatoni is exactly the kind of no-fuss comfort food I lean on after a long workday. Everything happens right in a glass baking dish: you pour jarred Alfredo sauce and just three more simple ingredients over dry rigatoni, give it a quick stir, and let the oven do the rest. No boiling pasta, no complicated steps—just cozy, creamy, garlicky noodles that taste like a big warm hug and feed the whole family with almost no effort.
Serve this garlic Alfredo rigatoni with a crisp green salad (I love a simple romaine salad with cherry tomatoes and Italian dressing) and some warm garlic bread or breadsticks to soak up the extra sauce. A side of steamed broccoli or roasted green beans adds color and a bit of balance to all that creamy goodness. For adults, a glass of chilled white wine like Pinot Grigio or a light sparkling water with lemon pairs nicely, while kids usually love this with a cold glass of milk.
Oven-Baked 5-Ingredient Garlic Alfredo RigatoniServings: 6
Ingredients
1 pound (16 ounces) dry rigatoni pasta
2 jars (15 ounces each) store-bought Alfredo sauce
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
Optional: nonstick cooking spray or a little olive oil for greasing the dish
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or a little olive oil to help prevent sticking.
Pour the dry rigatoni straight into the bottom of the glass baking dish and spread it into an even layer. The pasta should be completely uncooked at this point.
In a large bowl or measuring pitcher, whisk together the jarred Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, and garlic powder until smooth and well combined. This extra liquid is what lets the dry rigatoni cook right in the oven.
Pour the Alfredo mixture evenly over the dry rigatoni in the glass baking dish, making sure all of the pasta is moistened. Use a spoon or spatula to gently stir and press the noodles down so they’re mostly submerged in the sauce.
Cover the glass baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, making sure to crimp the edges so steam doesn’t escape. This helps the rigatoni cook through and stay tender.
Bake the covered dish in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the rigatoni is just tender when you poke a piece with a fork. If your oven runs cool or the pasta still feels firm, add 5 to 10 more minutes, keeping it covered.
Carefully remove the foil (watch out for hot steam), then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the pasta and sauce.
Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for another 8 to 12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to turn golden around the edges.
Let the baked rigatoni rest on the counter for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken slightly so it’s extra creamy and easier to scoop. Serve warm, straight from the glass baking dish.
Variations & Tips
For extra flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning or a pinch of red pepper flakes with the Alfredo mixture before pouring it over the dry rigatoni. If you want some protein, you can add 1 to 2 cups of cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked Italian sausage on top of the dry pasta before you pour the sauce mixture over it; just make sure any meat you add is fully cooked and hot foods are not left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. To sneak in veggies, scatter 1 to 2 cups of frozen peas or chopped frozen spinach over the dry rigatoni, then pour the sauce and broth mixture on top as directed. For a richer dish, use whole milk or half-and-half in place of part of the broth (up to 1 cup), but avoid using all cream, which can separate at high heat. If you need this to be vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and check that your Alfredo sauce is made without meat-based ingredients. For a crispier top, broil the finished dish for 1 to 2 minutes after the cheese melts—just watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Food safety tips: Always check that any added meats are cooked to a safe internal temperature (165°F/74°C for chicken) before mixing into the casserole. Let leftovers cool slightly, then refrigerate within 2 hours in shallow containers. Reheat leftovers to 165°F/74°C before serving, and consume refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
