This oven baked 4-ingredient macaroni and tomatoes is pure Depression-era comfort food: simple pantry staples, tossed into one dish, and baked until the pasta is tender and the tomatoes turn saucy and cozy. On weeks when our grocery budget feels especially tight or I just don’t have the energy for a fussy dinner, this is the first thing I suggest to friends—and the first thing I make for us. Everything happens right in a glass casserole dish: you scatter in dry elbow macaroni, pour canned tomatoes over the top, add water and a knob of butter, then let the oven slowly do its thing. It’s humble, filling, and tastes like something a grandma would have made to stretch a can of tomatoes and a box of pasta into a full meal.
Serve this macaroni and tomatoes straight from the casserole dish with a generous grind of black pepper on top. It’s great alongside a simple green salad or steamed frozen veggies if you want to add something fresh without much extra effort. If you have it, a sprinkle of shredded cheese or parmesan on individual bowls makes it feel a little more indulgent. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave with a splash of water, so it’s an easy make-ahead option for lunches during the week.
Oven-Baked 4-Ingredient Macaroni and TomatoesServings: 4
Ingredients
2 cups dry elbow macaroni
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes with their juices
2 cups hot water
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste, optional but recommended)
Freshly ground black pepper, for serving (optional)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 2-quart glass casserole dish so the pasta doesn’t stick too much.
Pour the dry elbow macaroni evenly into the bottom of the glass casserole dish, spreading it into an even layer with your hand or a spoon.
Pour both cans of diced tomatoes, with all their juices, directly over the uncooked macaroni. It should look like the tomatoes are just covering the pasta in the dish.
Pour the hot water evenly over everything in the casserole dish. Gently stir once or twice to make sure the macaroni is mostly submerged in the tomato and water mixture.
Dot the top with the pieces of butter, spacing them out so they can melt and spread during baking. Sprinkle the salt over the top.
Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil to trap in the steam, which helps the macaroni cook evenly.
Bake for 40–50 minutes, removing the foil after about 35 minutes to check doneness. Give the mixture a good stir, making sure the pasta isn’t sticking to the bottom and that most of the liquid has been absorbed.
If the macaroni is still a bit firm, re-cover loosely and bake for another 5–10 minutes, checking every few minutes until the pasta is tender and the tomatoes are saucy. If it looks too dry before the pasta is done, stir in a splash more hot water.
Once the macaroni is tender, remove the casserole from the oven and let it sit for 5–10 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. Taste and adjust salt if needed, then serve with black pepper on top, if you like.
Variations & Tips
This recipe is meant to be as bare-bones and budget-friendly as possible, but you can still tweak it to fit what you have. For extra flavor without changing the basic four-ingredient concept, use canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, or add a small pinch of dried Italian seasoning from your pantry. If you have an onion or garlic on hand, you can finely chop and scatter it over the macaroni before adding the tomatoes. To make it a bit richer, stir in a handful of shredded cheese right after baking, or sprinkle cheese over the top and return it to the oven uncovered for a few minutes until melted and bubbly. For more protein, add a drained can of beans (like kidney or cannellini) or some leftover cooked ground beef or sausage to the dish before baking, adding a little extra water if it looks dry. If you prefer a softer, almost casserole-style texture, bake it a bit longer and add a splash more water; for a firmer, less saucy version, let it bake uncovered for the last 10–15 minutes to evaporate more liquid.
