One Pan Pasta Bake
Dump and Bake style dish? Yes please! This easy pasta dish cooks in the oven so you can go knock out other stuff at your house while it cooks then just throw the pan in the dishwasher when you are done. Talk about win/win! Also, you can customize this dish however you want by replacing the red peppers with tomatoes, adding in chopped onion, etc - make it your own!
If you have ever wanted a pasta dinner with the least amount of dishes possible, this One Pan Pasta Bake is the answer. The pasta cooks right in the broth, no boiling water required. A whole package of Boursin cheese melts into the most incredible sauce. And the whole thing goes from dry ingredients to dinner in about 55 minutes, with most of that being hands-off oven time.
This recipe was born out of a 'what is in my pantry' night, and now it is a permanent part of my dinner rotation. The genius of it is letting the Boursin slowly melt as the pasta cooks, releasing all that herby, creamy goodness into the sauce naturally. Add a pop of sweetness from sliced red peppers or cherry tomatoes, some chicken sausage or seasoned chicken for protein, and a handful of fresh spinach stirred in at the end. That is dinner.
I love that you can customize this one a hundred different ways. Use whatever pasta shape you have. Swap the red peppers for roasted red peppers from a jar, or use halved cherry tomatoes for a sweeter, juicier version. Use a different flavor of Boursin to change the whole vibe. The fundamentals of dry pasta plus broth plus Boursin plus protein are what hold it together, and everything else is up to you.
This is the kind of weeknight dinner that gives you breathing room. You assemble the pan in five minutes, slide it in the oven, and you have 45 minutes to fold laundry, help with homework, or just sit down for a second. Then dinner is done and you have one pan to wash. Let's make it.
📝 Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Sausage, sliced (I used spinach & artichoke flavor) OR 1 lb Chicken, cut into cubes and seasoned
- 1 pkg Boursin Cheese (your choice of flavor)
- 1 lb pasta (your favorite shape)
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 sliced red pepper OR 1 cup cherry tomatoes OR 1 jar drained roasted red peppers
- 2 cups Spinach
- Salt & Pepper to taste
👩🍳 Directions
- 1
Heat oven to 400°F
- 2
Spray a 9x13 pan
- 3
Add dry pasta to the bottom
- 4
Place Boursin in the center
- 5
Top with sausage or chicken, peppers, and broth
- 6
Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes or until pasta is cooked
- 7
Stir in spinach until wilted and cheese is melted
- 8
Season to taste
- 9
Enjoy!!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Pasta: Use a sturdy short pasta like penne, rigatoni, rotini, or cavatappi. The shape needs to hold its own as it bakes in the broth. Long thin pastas like spaghetti or angel hair do not work as well here.
Boursin cheese: The star of the show. One package of any flavor will do, but garlic and herb is the classic. The Boursin melts as the pasta bakes, creating the entire creamy sauce. Do not skip it or sub a different cheese unless you have to.
Chicken broth: 4 cups is the magic number. This is what cooks the pasta and forms the base of the sauce. Use low-sodium so you can control the salt. Vegetable broth works if you are going meatless.
Chicken sausage: I love using a flavored chicken sausage like spinach and artichoke or sundried tomato. The sausage is already cooked, so you are just slicing and warming it through. You can also use raw cubed chicken (cook time stays the same as long as you cube small).
Red peppers: A sliced red bell pepper or about a cup of halved cherry tomatoes adds sweetness and color. A jar of drained roasted red peppers works too, especially in winter.
Spinach: Fresh baby spinach stirred in at the end wilts down to almost nothing. You can pile it in. Frozen spinach also works (thaw and squeeze dry first).
How to Store, Reheat & Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to soak up sauce as it sits, so when you reheat, add a splash of broth or milk and warm gently in the microwave or on the stove.
Freezing is possible but the texture of the Boursin sauce changes a little after thawing. If you do freeze, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the stove with extra broth to bring the sauce back together.
What to Serve With One Pan Pasta Bake
This is a full meal in one pan, but a side or two takes it from weeknight dinner to actual dinner party. A simple green salad with a lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cream sauce. Warm crusty bread or garlic bread is perfect for scraping the pan clean. Roasted broccoli, asparagus, or green beans on the side add another vegetable. For wine, a crisp white like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio is delicious.
💡 Tips for Success
- Use a deep 9x13 baking dish so the pasta has room to absorb all the broth without spilling over.
- Make sure you cover tightly with foil. The steam is what cooks the pasta evenly, so a loose seal will leave you with crunchy noodles on top.
- Use the chicken broth measurement exactly. Too little and the pasta will not cook through. Too much and the sauce will be watery.
- Pick a sturdier pasta shape like penne, rigatoni, or rotini. Long thin pastas like spaghetti do not bake as evenly in this method.
- If you are using raw chicken instead of pre-cooked chicken sausage, cube it small (about a half inch) and season it generously with salt and pepper before adding so it cooks through in the bake time.
- Stir well once it comes out of the oven. The Boursin needs to be broken up and mixed in. Some of it will be hiding in the middle, and that is where the sauce comes from.
- Add the spinach last. It just needs to wilt in the residual heat. Adding it earlier will overcook it into mush.
- Try different Boursin flavors. Garlic and herb is the classic, but cracked pepper, shallot and chive, or even the spicy versions are all delicious here.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to boil the pasta first?
No, that is the whole point. The dry pasta cooks right in the chicken broth as it bakes. Just measure the broth carefully so there is enough liquid to fully cook the noodles.
Can I use a different cheese instead of Boursin?
Boursin is what makes this dish what it is, but in a pinch you can use a brick of cream cheese plus a teaspoon of garlic powder, a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt. Mascarpone also works.
Can I use a different protein?
Yes. Cooked sausage crumbles, leftover rotisserie chicken stirred in at the end, or even canned chickpeas for a vegetarian version all work. Just make sure raw proteins are cut small enough to cook in 45 minutes.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Easily. Skip the chicken sausage and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Add white beans or chickpeas for protein, and double up on the spinach and peppers.
My pasta is still crunchy on top, what happened?
Your foil cover was not tight enough. The steam is what cooks the top layer of pasta. Press the foil firmly around all four edges of the pan to seal it.
Can I prep it ahead?
I would not assemble it more than an hour ahead because the broth will start absorbing into the dry pasta and you will end up with mushy spots. Save it for a same-day cook.
How long do leftovers keep?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a splash of broth when reheating to bring the sauce back to life.
Made this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @holleyinthekitchen — I'd love to see it!