Baked Rigatoni
Perfect for a family meal, this Baked Rigatoni recipe is simple but delicious! It's a comforting pasta bake full of rigatoni, a hearty meat sauce, and cheese.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 685kcal
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large skillet
- 13x9" baking or casserole dish
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (450g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef (450g)
- 1 pound ground sausage (450g)
- 1 jar marinara sauce (24-ounce/677g)
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 1½ tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (336g)
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese (85g)
- Basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and sausage. Cook, breaking up the meat while stirring frequently until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, chopped basil, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir to combine.
- Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture into the dish. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan over the pasta. Top with the remaining pasta mixture and mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Place on a baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbly. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil, if desired.
Video
Notes
- If you have the time, shredding your own cheese is ideal. Pre-shredded cheese does not melt as smoothly and also costs a bit more, but if you’re short on time, pre-shredded cheese can save you time.
- This baked rigatoni is a great dish to add extra vegetables to. Try adding mushrooms, bell peppers, carrots, or spinach to the pasta bake.
- Make sure the pasta is covered as much as possible by the sauce and cheese. If the pasta is too exposed, it can dry out in the oven.
- If you want to add more pasta to this recipe, make sure you add additional sauce as well. A bit of extra pasta might not seem like a big deal, but pasta absorbs the sauce as it bakes, so if you don’t have enough sauce or too much pasta, your pasta bake may end up dry.
- Don’t cut into the baked rigatoni immediately. Giving it some time to rest will allow everything to set up so the pasta holds together better when you cut into it to serve.
- You can swap the ground meat for ground turkey, turkey sausage, or use fully ground beef or ground sausage.
- You can add a little extra heat to the dish by adding red pepper flakes to the meat sauce or layered with the pasta and cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 685kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1288mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 845IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 378mg | Iron: 4mg