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This rotini pasta bake is your one-pan ticket to a hearty, cozy weeknight dinner (with 30 grams of protein per serving). Curly rotini pasta traps all that saucy goodness, making it great for the whole family and ridiculously easy to make. Just stir, bake, and dig in!

A rectangular baking dish filled with baked rotini pasta in tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese and garnished with herbs, with a serving spoon in one corner.
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Your New Weeknight Dinner

Let’s talk rotini, the corkscrew pasta that everyone loves! Whether in pasta salads or drenched in marinara, those twisty spirals are a sauce magnet.

Its fun shape makes rotini a kid-favorite (for obvious reasons), but it’s also a practical choice for recipes like this rotini pasta bake. The sturdy spirals soak up every drop of saucy, cheesy goodness and hold up to being baked!

A serving spoon lifts a portion of cheesy baked pasta from a casserole dish filled with melted cheese and sauce.
Close-up of baked rotini pasta with tomato sauce, ground meat, melted cheese, and garnished with chopped parsley.

Grab These Ingredients

You’ll just need a few basic ingredients to make this rotini pasta bake. This is only an overview—jump to the recipe card for the full list!

  • Rotini: This pasta is the perfect length for ‘forkability’ (the ability to pick it up with a fork), and it’s super fun to eat! But, if you must, you can use any short pasta like penne.
  • Cottage Cheese: Melts into the bake during the covered baking phase, adding creaminess and protein without the density of ricotta. Full-fat cottage cheese produces the best texture; low-fat versions can release more water and make the bake slightly looser.
  • Sauces: The marinara provides the saucy base and liquid the pasta needs to finish cooking in the oven, while the basil pesto adds an herby brightness that keeps the sauce from tasting flat.
  • Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning create layers of flavor, while salt and pepper balance the whole dish.
  • More Cheese: Split between the filling and the top for two different results. The portion folded into the pasta melts into a creamy interior, while the top layer browns and pulls for the classic baked pasta finish. Freshly grated Parmesan melts and crisps more evenly than pre-shredded.
Ingredients for a pasta dish arranged on a red surface: rotini pasta, marinara sauce, parmesan, seasonings, pesto, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
Close-up view of a pile of rotini pasta, highlighting the tightly packed spiral shapes and unique texture of the uncooked pasta.
Cook your pasta to al dente (your pasta is tender yet still has a slight bite) to avoid it turning mushy during baking.
Baked pasta with melted cheese in a casserole dish, served on a plate with grated cheese, parsley, and flatbread on the side, placed on a red tabletop.
Cover your dish with foil during the first half of baking to lock in moisture.

Boost It

This baked pasta recipe is incredibly adaptable to add-ins. Add veggies like sautéed spinach, sautéed mushrooms, or chopped zucchini for a veggie boost, or throw in browned plant-based sausage or ground meat for a heartier bake.

A bowl of cheesy baked rotini pasta with ground meat and herbs, served with a fork, grated cheese, and flatbread on a red tile surface.
A serving of cheesy baked pasta with spiral noodles, meat sauce, and melted cheese being lifted from a baking dish.
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Cheesy Baked Rotini Pasta Casserole

5 from 8 ratings
By: Sarah Bond
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
This rotini pasta bake is a hearty, cozy weeknight dinner with curly pasta that traps every bit of saucy goodness. One pan, simple ingredients and ridiculously easy to make!

Ingredients 

  • 1 lb rotini pasta, 453 g
  • 2 cups cottage cheese, 450 g
  • 1 24-oz jar marinara sauce, 680 g
  • ½ cup pesto
  • 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp each salt and pepper
  • 1 8-oz package mozzarella cheese, 226 g
  • ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan, 40 g
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Instructions 

  • Pasta: Cook 1 lb rotini pasta according to package instructions, stopping 2 minutes before al dente (pasta will still be a little hard on the inside when you bite it).
    Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
    A white colander filled with cooked rotini pasta sits on a red tiled surface.
  • Stir: In a large bowl, gently fold together drained pasta, 2 cups cottage cheese, 1 24-oz jar marinara sauce, ½ cup pesto, 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and ½ tsp each salt and pepper, along with half of the 8-oz package mozzarella cheese.
    A bowl on a red tiled surface contains uncooked pasta, shredded cheese, cottage cheese, pesto, tomato sauce, grated parmesan, and pepper, with a black spoon resting inside.
  • Assemble: Lightly grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Spoon the pasta mixture into the dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
    A rectangular baking dish filled with an unbaked casserole topped with a generous layer of shredded cheese on a red tiled surface.
  • Bake: Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil covering, increase the temperature to 400°F (204°C), and continue cooking until the top is golden in spots and melty, about 10 minutes.
    A close-up of a baked pasta dish with rotini, ground meat, tomato sauce, and melted cheese, garnished with chopped parsley in a rectangular casserole dish.

Notes

Leftovers will last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze this dish for up to a month—just let it thaw before baking.
To make it ahead, assemble your pasta bake, wrap or cover it, and stick it in the fridge overnight. When you’re ready, remove it from the fridge and bake as directed.
To make a gluten-free pasta bake, use any gluten-free pasta instead of the rotini.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.7g | Protein: 30.8g | Fat: 14.2g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 1111mg | Potassium: 109mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 7.6g | Calcium: 456mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!

Plays Well With

While the rotini pasta bakes into a bubbly, cheesy masterpiece, involve the family in making any of these side dishes!

  • Tomato & Mango Bruschetta: This appetizer is easy enough for little hands to assemble and can be customized by each person.
  • Summer Veggie Salad: We love to eat the rainbow here, and this colorful salad makes a great complement to the cozy baked pasta!
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5 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. Jeff McIntyre says:

    This looks tasty.

    Could I add some zucchini or spinach or both?

    Maybe some chickpeas for protein?

    Do you think those additions would work. I’m new at meatless meals and am not sure what goes well together.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Yes! All of the above! I would maybe saute the zucchini first to make sure it cooks through. Chickpeas and spinach could be stirred right in before cooking 😀

  2. Stewball says:

    5 stars
    What cheese can I use instead of mozzarella?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Parmesan is tasty, although not as gooey. Provolone would be my top choice!

  3. Fred Duncan says:

    5 stars
    Had this one a few weeks ago. DELISH!! It’s our go-to rotini/baked ziti recipe from now on!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Yay! Happy eating! (And thanks so much for coming back to leave a review – reading these makes my day!)

  4. Vickie White says:

    Can I use Tomato Basil pasta sauce instead of Marinara?

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      Yes! 😀

    2. Vickie White says:

      Thank you

    3. Laura B says:

      5 stars
      We loved this with the marinara but now I’m thinking of using Tomato Basil pasta sauce next time. Thanks Vickie.

  5. Suz says:

    Could you substitute Silken soft tofu for the cottage cheese?

    I haven’t made this yet but it looks delicious.

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      I haven’t tested that so I can’t say for sure but I would love to hear how it goes if you try it out!

  6. Lori says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I added a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach before baking! I thought that our family would have leftovers for days with this one, but it was too good!

    Reply
  7. Amy Russo says:

    5 stars
    Still eating the delish leftovers made 3 days ago and is a keeper. Had to make in two 9 x9 pans due to not having the 13×9 but worked perfectly!

    Reply
    1. Sarah Bond says:

      I’m so thrilled to hear that you loved it. Happy eating!