This hearty baked rigatoni recipe is quick, flavorful, and ready in minutes.
With just a handful of ingredients, this easy rigatoni recipe features a tangy, meaty tomato sauce tossed with rigatoni, sprinkled with cheese, and baked until golden and bubbly.
- Loads of Tasty Italian flavors and rich pasta sauce.
- Is easy to prepare and with a few ingredients.
- Baking pasta is a perfect way to combine flavors and create a delicious cheesy crust.
- This recipe is a great way to make the most of ground beef and is versatile.
- Add additional vegetables and sauce to extend the meal (and your budget) Even further!
What you will need to make baked rigatoni
Meat: Use lean ground beef (80/20) for a delicious meaty sauce in this baked rigatoni recipe.
Pasta: I love rigatoni because it has a sauce that leaves a lot of meat clinging to it. Try other, more substantial pasta shapes like ziti, rotini or penne.
Dip: This quick sauce upgrades a jar of your favorite pasta sauce (we love it) This brand). You can substitute it with homemade marinara sauce.
Cheese: This casserole is topped with shredded mozzarella; feel free to add Parmesan cheese. Use pre-shredded or swap in your favorite Italian cheese blend.
Variations
- Meat:Change up the flavor by using ground turkey or Italian sausage. Short on time? Add some miniature pre-cooked meatballs in step 4.
- Vegetables: Make your meal heartier with vegetables – try chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini or diced tomatoes.
- Cheese: Other cheeses to try include provolone, Monterey Jack, or a Mexican blend. Creamy ricotta can be added to the sauce in step 4 for a richer, creamier sauce.
How to make baked rigatoni
- Cook the ground beef with the onion and simmer with the sauce. (recipe below).
- Stir the cooked rigatoni into the meat sauce and transfer to a baking dish.
- Top with cheese and bake until bubbly.
Serve with garlic toast and a crunchy salad, and dinner is ready!
- Cook pasta until al dente (firm), as it will cook further as it bakes.
- Vegetables can be added, just make sure to cook them first so they don’t get soggy.
- Substitute the cheese with whatever you have on hand. Shredded cheese works great in this recipe!
Store leftover baked rigatoni covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat portions in the microwave.
How to prepare in advance
- Make this baked rigatoni pasta up to 3 days ahead.
- To freeze whole, baked and cooled rigatoni pasta, cover the baking dish with foil before baking. This makes it easier to remove once frozen, so you can reuse the dish and enjoy hassle-free meal prep.
- Wrap the frozen casserole with more foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in casserole dish in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
More baked pasta dishes you’ll love
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Baked Rigatoni
Baked rigatoni with meat sauce and cheese is easy to make and is a perfect dish to delight everyone.
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Preheat oven to 350℉. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
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In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef and onion over medium heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Drain the fat.
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Add Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute.
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Add the pasta sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Set aside.
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Meanwhile, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until tender. al dente according to package directions (will continue cooking in oven).
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Reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain. Stir the pasta water into the meat sauce.
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Combine pasta and pasta sauce in a saucepan. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish and transfer pasta mixture to it.
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Cover with a lightly greased piece of aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until heated through.
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Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 10 more minutes, until cheese begins to brown.
To make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bake at 350°F until heated through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Calories: 418 | Carbohydrates: 53gram | Protein: 28gram | Fat: 10gram | Saturated fat: 5gram | Polyunsaturated fat: 1gram | Monounsaturated fat: 3gram | Trans fats: 0.2gram | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1088mg | Potassium: 832mg | Fiber: 5gram | Sugar: 8gram | Vitamin A: 864International Union | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 195mg | Iron: 4mg
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and will vary depending on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Beef, Casserole, Dinner, Main Dish, Entree, Pasta Kitchen American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photos are copyrighted. Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please see my photo usage policy here.
