No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake (gluten-free)

This No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake is such an easy dinner recipe. Add all of the ingredients to one dish, bake and serve! Plus it’s gluten-free and made with just 5 ingredients.

I love a no-boil pasta bake more than most. It is so simple to make and great for any night of the week. You can have your entire meal prepped and cooked in a single dish and it’s a meal my family enjoys together. 

If you love my Classic No-Boil Baked Pasta Recipe and you love pesto, try this version. It is packed with flavors and protein and it’s made with just 5 key ingredients. The flavors of this baked pasta are just right. The saltiness from the cheese, herby basil flavors from the pesto and the decadence of pasta, it is heavenly.

Not to mention this is also higher in protein compared to more pastas since I add in some chicken. I love adding chicken thighs or breasts cut up into the pasta before baking. My 3 year old isn’t a huge meat eater usually, and he actually loves it in this dish.

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this. And it makes for delicious leftovers the next day. I usually warm up in microwave with a splash of water. Depending on the pasta you use, you will need water to separate the noodles. Sometimes gluten-free pasta can stick together, so if that happens definitely add water.

I cannot wait to hear what you think of this recipe. I hope you love this recipe.

What ingredients you need to make this pesto bake:

• Gluten-free pasta or use regular pasta if not gf
• Pesto – I use my recipe but you can use store-bought)
• Cooking broth – I use chicken or veggie broth in this
• Chicken thighs or breasts – boneless and skinless cut into 1-inch pieces
• Italian seasoning – or your preferred seasonings 
• Mozzarella cheese – I like to do freshly shredded but you can buy pre-shredded too

How to make pesto pasta bake:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Add pasta, pesto and broth to a baking dish and mix all together
3. Season the chicken with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper then add to baking dish and stir all together
4. Cover with foil then bake in oven for 35 minutes (I like to mix the pasta at least once during this time to make sure all is evenly cooking)
5. Remove pasta from oven and add cheese on top then cook again until cheese is melted and liquid is almost absorbed (I like to broil for a minute or so to get the cheese bubbly)
6. Serve while warm with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese if desired

FAQs and tips on making this no-boil pasta bake:

• Do I have to use gluten-free pasta? Nope! If you’re not gluten-free, you can use any pasta you’d like.
• I don’t eat meat, can I omit the chicken? Yes of course. It is optional. I just like to add for protein. You could add more veggies if you wanted.
• What kind of pesto do you use? I like to make my own kale pesto. You can also use store-bought if you wanted too to make it easier.
• My pasta is not cooking, what can I do? Make sure to mix the noodles as they bake in the oven so everything cooks evenly. I do this at least 1x, maybe more. Also if it looks too dry, add more broth as needed. It’s okay for some noodles to have that “crunch” like baked ziti does. Also the noodles should fully be submerged in the broth/pesto mixture.
• Can I freeze this recipe? I haven’t personally, but I think you can add to freezer once cooked in a tupperware. I’d thaw out in fridge overnight and reheat in microwave or oven.

A few other delicious and easy weeknight dinner recipes:

One-Skillet Healthy Chicken Stir Fry

Easy Gluten-free Pasta Primavera Recipe

DELISH One-pot Enchilada Meatballs (gluten-free)

One Pan Pizza Chicken (gluten-free)