This no-boil, Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Kale, Sage and Pecans is a cozy fall dinner that takes 30 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven. A hearty one-pan, vegetarian meal.
It takes a snowflake two hours to fall from cloud to earth. Can’t you just see its slow, peaceful decent?
—Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Full of fall flavors, this Baked Rigatoni highlights butternut squash and kale, and couldn’t be any more comforting.
It’s made in one pan and requires no pasta boiling. You’ve told us how much you’ve enjoyed our other no-boil, Baked Ziti with Mushrooms and Spinach, so here’s another version and with a fall spin on it. To me, it’s the perfect fall comfort food!
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes
- veggie broth or chicken stock
- rigatoni- or sub penne or ziti
- burrata or mozzarella cheese- fresh balls or grated
- grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
- crushed walnuts or pecans
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Baked Rigatoni
Step One: Saute onion, garlic and butternut squash in olive oil.
Step Two: Add the sage and lacinato kale and wilt.
Step Three: Set the butternut squash mixture aside on another plate. Pour in the broth and add the dry rigatoni and push it down under the broth.
TIP: Season the broth with salt and pepper- you want this to be really flavorful!
Step Four: Add half of the butternut /kale mixture, tucking the pasta underneath – then dollops of ricotta over the top, then the burrata (or mozzarella) then top it with the remaining butternut squash/ kale mixture. Sprinkle with pecorino and top with the crushed nuts.
Cover tightly with a lid or tightly with foil. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop.
Step Five: Bake covered – it is imperative you have a tight seal- at 400F for 25 minutes. Uncover, and tuck any pasta that has floated to the top, down underneath, and continue baking 15-20 minutes until golden.
*If it seems overly liquidy, continue baking until it thickens up or cook off any liquid on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
Enjoy the Baked Rigatoni with a green salad! We enjoyed this with our Pear Arugula Salad
Leftovers are delicious for up to 4 days.
Recipe FAq’s
Think of this like a pasta bake or pasta “casserole”. The dry pasta is cooked in a broth, studded with ricotta. It is not a “saucy” pasta dish.
I have not attempted to make this vegan- but I’m sure it can be converted. Try this with our Tofu Ricotta and use vegan Mozzarella. Perhaps a bit of nutritional yeast in the broth too.
Yes, it can be made ahead, and reheated in a 350F oven, covered.
More Recipes You May Enjoy!
- 30 Comfort Food Recipes for Fall
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sage
- Gnocchi with Fennel, Spinach and Mushrooms
On the homefront: I woke up to our first snow! Our dog Lumi (which means snow in Finnish) looks astonished and paws at it so curiously. The morning is deeply quiet, the sun has not risen yet, and there is a stillness here that feels like no other time of day.
Today, I leave for Finland for my aunt Anja’s 90th birthday party. My friend Jill is coming along with, and we are making it a sort of “sauna trip”. I’ll keep you posted. 😉
Enjoy this recipe for Baked Rigatoni, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Have a lovely week.
xoxo
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Kale, Sage and Pecans
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: pasta, vegetarian, fall dinner
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This No-Boil, Baked Rigatoni with Butternut Squash, Kale, Sage and Pecans can be made in one pan, with 30 minutes of hands-on time before baking in the oven. A cozy vegetarian dinner, perfect for fall. Pasta is cooked in a broth- studded with ricotta- so more like a baked pasta “casserole”.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or use 1/2 butter)
- 1 red onion,diced (2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 3–4 cups butternut squash, peeled, diced into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, thick stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces.
- 3 cups veggie broth or chicken stock ( I used water with 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon paste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces dry pasta- penne, ziti, rigatoni, etc. ( about 3 1/4 cups)
- 16 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 3–4 ounces fresh burrata or mozzarella cheese ball, or sub grated mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese or parmesan ( pecorino elevates here!)
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- In a large, 12-inch, oven-proof skillet or braiser, saute onion in olive oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring until fragrant. Add garlic, butternut squash, sage, and salt, lower heat to medium, and saute for 5 minutes, until about halfway cooked. Stir in nutmeg and kale, saute for 1-2 minutes until slightly wilted. Scoot this all to a plate and set aside.
- To the same pan, pour in the broth and pasta and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
- Season the broth with salt and pepper – you want this to taste quite flavorful- otherwise pasta may be bland. Spoon in half of the butternut-kale mixture over the pasta.
- Spoon the ricotta over the top in dollops, scatter with burrata (cut it up a bit) or mozzarella.
- Cover with the remaining butternut/kale mixture, arranging it a bit. Tuck any pasta that has risen, underneath to ensure it cooks properly.
- Sprinkle with pecorino cheese and crushed nuts.
- Cover tightly with a lid, or use parchment and foil (parchment will prevent foil from touching food) and bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, place in the 400F oven for 25 minutes. You must have a tight seal here for the pasta to cook.
- Uncover, tuck any pasta that has risen down underneath so it softens, and continue baking until golden, 12-15 more minutes. If it seems watery, continue baking or simmer gently on the stovetop, cooking off any excess liquid.
Notes
Leftovers reheat great and will keep up to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 501
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 684.4 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.1 g
- Fiber: 4.8 g
- Protein: 20.6 g
- Cholesterol: 52.7 mg
I made this with gluten free corn pasta a few weeks ago, and it was spectacular. Not making any changes today other than doubling the recipe so we have leftovers…
So good to know Delphulia! Thanks for the review.
Very scrumptious, healthy and Autumnal:). I used Tofu ricotta and it was so flavorful. Thank you for helping me stay healthy and happy with your delicious recipes:)
Great to hear Melissa! Did you add any additional vegan cheese? Just curious!
Do you think I could substitute vegan products for the dairy products and it would still work? It looks delicious.
Hi Rose- I think it would work great!
First off – I love your site! Your recipes are the best and I’m a huge fan! This recipe looks delicious and I’m looking forward to trying. Question – can frozen butternut squash be used? If so, how do you suggest I handle? Thank you!
It should work fine. I would let it thaw and blot any moisture before sautéing.
You did not mention the size of the onion a measure by cup would be helpful as would the amount of the kale also ” a bunch” is not helpful! I found it to be a bit bland. I would make it again but add some pepper flakes.
Thanks for the feedback Linda! It is imperative to season the broth with salt and pepper or it can be bland- I noted this in the recipe card. 🙂
Incredibly delicious and not too difficult. Thank you Sylvia for another excellent recipe!
Awesome to hear Max! Appreciate the review.
Easy to make and yummy though I think it was a bit heavy on the dairy. I will try again for sure with modifications perhaps.
Thanks Veronica, definitely adapt to your preferences!
Didn’t have ricotta, but cream cheese left over save the day! Made with Pink Banana squash, amazing!!
So glad it worked out Josee! Thanks for the helpful review- love the improvising.