baked rigatoni

<p>This cheesy baked rigatoni is layered with rigatoni, ricotta cheese, ground sweet Italian sausage and beef, fresh mozzarella, and topped with fresh chopped basil and parmesan cheese.</p>

Baked Rigatoni Recipe

rigatoni

sweet Italian sausage

85% beef

marinara

ricotta cheese, transferred

mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-sized cubes

basil leaves

Salt and pepper,

Bring a large pot of water with a pinch of salt to a boil. Cook pasta al dente, strain, and transfer to a bowl or back into the boiling pot once it&#8217;s cooled. Stir in 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups marinara. Mix and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring oil in a large pan or skillet to medium heat. Cook sausage and beef until browned and fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Use the tip of your spatula to break the sausage and beef into small chunks. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and set aside.

Take half of the pasta and layer filling the entire bottom of a 13X9 casserole dish. Layer with half of the beef and sausage mix, and then half of the ricotta cheese. Spread the ricotta with a rubber spatula, doing your best to spread thinly and evenly. It will tend to stick. It&#8217;s best to work in small dollops and spread as best you can. It does not need to be perfect!

Repeat step 4 with the remaining ingredients. Pasta, sausage/beef, then ricotta.

Layer top with 1 cup of marinara. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes uncovered. Remove from the oven, top with a layer of 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and all the fresh mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 additional minutes or until cheese is fully melted and starting to turn golden. Sometimes a 2-minute broil at the very end will help deliver a perfect golden singe.

Let cool for 10 minutes, top with basil, and serve cut in squares.

so so amazing recipe. A good(+easy+tasty) recipe + family time = What else we need in this tough time to cheer up! :)
I have been following your blog for a year now and loving it :)

stay safe! have a great day ahead

This baked rigatoni recipe is tasty and comforting pasta bake with meat and veggies all in one dish! Layers of tender pasta, a perfectly seasoned meat sauce, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes, all topped with a thin layer of melty fresh mozzarella.

Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce and Vegetable

eggplant, (about 1lb, thinly sliced)

lb Rigatoni pasta, (or penne pasta)

Water

Kosher salt

Extra virgin olive oil, (my go-to olive oils)

onion, (finely chopped)

garlic cloves, (minced)

tsp Spanish paprika

nutmeg

tsp dried Rosemary

tsp black pepper

oz tomatoes

tomato sauce

tomato,

to 8 oz fresh mozzarella, (more to your liking)

Prepare the Eggplant. Place eggplant slices on a large tray. Sprinkle generously with salt and set aside for 20 minutes or so (the eggplant will sweat out any bitterness). Using a paper towel, pat the eggplant dry and wipe any excess salt.

Broil the Eggplant. Spray or brush the eggplant generously with extra virgin olive oil. Place on top rack of heated oven to broil for 4-5 minutes or so, watching very carefully. The eggplant should &quot;wilt&quot; and brown. Remove from heat and set aside.  (you will need to switch oven to bake later)

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season well with kosher salt. Cook the pasta to al l dante according to package instructions. This might take about 11 minutes or so. When ready, drain, reserving a little bit of the pasta cooking water.

Prepare meat sauce. While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large deeper pan. Cook the onions over medium-high heat until translucent, about 3 minutes, tossing regularly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, again tossing regularly. Add the meat and spices, and season with Kosher salt and black pepper. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat up into smaller piece, continue to stir until the meat is fully cooked through and has browned (about 7 to 10 minutes). Add the canned crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 15 minutes or so. Carefully taste and adjust salt, if needed add more salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and position a rack in the middle.

Assemble the rigatoni casserole. Spoon a little bit of the meat sauce to cover the bottom of a large 14 x 10 x 3 deep baking dish, Add about 1/2 of the pasta. Assemble the broiled eggplant on top, then add half the meat sauce. Now add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining meat sauce. Finally, assemble fresh tomatoes and mozzarella slices on the very top.

Bake! Place the rigatoni dish on the middle rack of  your heated oven. Bake for 20 to 25. If needed, put the rigatoni under the broiler briefly. Watch carefully until top of the rigatoni casserole gains some good color (you&#39;re looking for some of the pasta to crisp up; the tomato and mozzarella may char or brown in some spots).

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/LySZyz0f.mp4

Layers of tender pasta, spiced meat sauce, eggplant, and fresh tomatoes, all topped with a thin layer of melty fresh mozzarella.

Baked Rigatoni

This simple baked rigatoni is a cozy vegetarian pasta casserole with a creamy marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and a buttery garlic breadcrumb topping!

Simple Baked Rigatoni

(16 ounce) box rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni, penne, or ziti pasta

(24 ounce) jar marinara sauce ((about 3 cups))

(8 ounces) full-fat sour cream,

mozzarella cheese

(2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

salt black pepper,

breadcrumbs

salted butter, melted

garlic powder

Optional garnish: crushed red pepper flakes; chopped fresh parsley Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish; set aside.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water for about 1 minute less than the package directions for al dente (about 9 minutes). Drain; return pasta to the pot.

Stir in the marinara sauce and sour cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Top with mozzarella and Parmesan.

In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbly. If the topping starts to get too dark before the casserole is heated through, just tent the dish loosely with foil.

Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, chopped fresh herbs, and extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

This rigatoni recipe is pure comfort food. Pasta baked in savory meat sauce and smothered in cheese it&#039;s an easy and delicious casserole idea.

Rigatoni

rigatoni (cooked and drained)

spaghetti sauce (24 ounces each)

beef

Italian seasoning

parmesan cheese

basil, ricotta cheese, salt, and black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together cooked rigatoni, spaghetti sauce, browned ground meat, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.

Pour mixture into a 9x13” casserole dish and top with remaining 2 cups of mozzarella.

Bake at 350F for 25 - 30 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted and bubbly. If you are using a broiler safe dish, you can turn on the broiler in the last couple minutes to brown the cheese, but watch closely!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uaq-RR14gZ0

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RIGATONI PASTA BAKE

Baked Rigatoni is full of zesty meat, tender noodles and lots of cheese! Super simple and incredibly delicious, this is the ultimate comfort food!

rigatoni pasta

Tablespoon Olive Oil

onion

garlic (minced)

sausage

Tablespoon italian seasoning

salt and pepper

jars) marinara sauce

mozzarella cheese (shredded)

parmesan cheese (shredded)

basil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.  In a large pot bring water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions.

In a medium sized sauce pan over medium high heat add the olive oil, onions and garlic.  Sauté until tender.

Add in the ground beef and sausage and cook and crumble until no longer pink.

Add in the italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, and marinara sauce.  Reduce heat and let simmer.

Drain the pasta and return to the large pot.  Add the meat sauce to the pot and stir until combined.

Spread half of the pasta in the bottom of your 9x13 inch dish.  Layer with half of the pasta.

Layer with half of the cheeses.  Repeat with remaining pasta and cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

This makes SO much. I ended up taking half to a friends house. So good, but I’m gonna half it from now on

Very easy and so yummy! I keep that recipe to cook in a rotation we love it so much. Thank you

Made it.  Turned out great.  My Grandson told me it was Amazing!  I agree.

Made this tonight for supper. I omitted the sausage &amp; the salt &amp; pepper &amp; added 2 cups of cottage cheese to the middle layer. I will be making this again, possibly even as a freezer meal.

My family thought it needed more flavor.  Maybe fennel, or spicy Italian sausage. I felt the pasta was too much; maybe half pound or 3/4 pound at most.
Thank you for the recipe.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/JMS39zE9.mp4

Baked Rigatoni is full of zesty meat, tender noodles and lots of cheese!  Super simple this is the ultimate comfort food!

This baked rigatoni recipe is pasta tossed in a flavorful meat sauce, then topped with plenty of cheese and baked until golden brown. A super easy dinner option that&#x27;s great for feeding a crowd!

Baked Rigatoni Pasta

olive oil

beef (I use 90% lean)

onion (finely chopped)

marinara sauce

rigatoni pasta (cooked according to package directions)

parsley

cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9&quot;x13&quot; pan with cooking spray.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage to the pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cook the meat for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon. Add the onion to the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until meat is browned and cooked through and onion is softened.

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the marinara sauce and tomato sauce to the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer.

Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes or until just thickened

For the sauce

Toss the cooked rigatoni with the sauce.

Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until pasta is bubbly and cheese is melted and browned.

Sprinkle with parsley. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.

For assembly

easy to make and prepare in advance delicious too

I’ve made this a few times and am back today because company’s coming for dinner!☺️ It’s just a great, solid recipe. I use half ground sirloin/half turkey in the sauce and amp up the onions and garlic. Have also added diced zucchini to the sauce and it’s delish. Rarely will you have leftovers, but it definitely keeps well too!
Thanks for the recipe!!

I used to make a very basic baked rigatoni recipe until I stumbled across this one. Now I can make it with whatever meat I have on hand, just beef, just sausage, a mix, deer meat etc etc.. My small children and husband demolish their plates every time. I use Rao’s sauce and pasta but even the cheaper stuff comes out good. I add whatever veggies I have and seasoning. And I mix some cheese into the pasta before putting it in the baking dish as well as putting cheese on top. Honestly, you can do it however you want and it will turn out delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

I made this last year for my fishing group of about 30 guys. I never silenced that many men at one time 🤣 I have now been  voluntold to cook for “Italian Night” every year for our season opener. Easy to make and the sauce thickened up nicely.

Absolutely delicious!! Used hot Italian sausage which added more complexity but not too spicy. Also sautéed chopped red pepper with onions and garlic and added to cooked meats. Used Rao sauce as it’s my favorite. Great for a crowd.

This is the best Rigatoni recipe I have found.  It really has some substance to it. (not just sauce and cheese).   My family loves it.

I made this tonight for my family (w/ a 2 and 4 year old) and everyone loved it. My kids tend to be a little choosy about which vegetables they eat, usually picking around mushrooms and peppers, but they enjoyed this meal so much they didn't worry about its contents. Thank you for a delicious recipe! I'll be making this one on repeat during the winter in Wisconsin.

Easy, delicious and quick meal for a new mom!
Thank you

Great recipe, I put in some mushrooms because my husband loves them. Also put a little ricotta cheese on the top then mozzarella.  Also added fresh basil from my garden and a little red wine.  Delish!!

I made this tonight using Ragu Chunky Sauce with Sautéed Onion &amp; Garlic Sauce. I added mushrooms as well as golden/orange/red peppers. I added Italian blend cheese (mix of mozzarella, provolone, Romano, Parmesan, fontina &amp; Asiago cheeses) in the middle &amp; topped with mozzarella cheese. It was DELISH!!!

This is definitely a family favorite!  My daughter and son-in-law request it ALL THE TIME!
 I add some spinach to get the greens in and red pepper flakes.  
The recipe you provided is absolutely delicious . 
Thank you so much!! xo

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/Mxg1uZFs.mp4

This baked rigatoni recipe is pasta tossed in a flavorful meat sauce, then topped with plenty of cheese and baked until golden brown. A super easy dinner option that's great for feeding a crowd!

There’s something about cheesy pasta bakes that I’ve always found absolutely crave-worthy. But, in my experience, they can be kind of a letdown, often dry &amp; overcooked all at once. So I set out to create a recipe to satisfy my cravings for the perfect pasta bake, &amp; that's how this baked rigatoni recipe came to be!
I jokingly refer to it as "Better Than Baked Ziti" or "Baked Ziti 2.0," but every component has been really carefully crafted to create a pasta bake for the ages:

Sauciness. This recipe starts with a quick &amp; simple homemade meat sauce made of Italian sausage, loads of aromatics, tomatoes, &amp; wine. There's enough of it to create a beautifully saucy plate of pasta – even after it bakes! – &amp; you'll be surprised by how much richness it adds despite a relatively short simmer. 
Texture. Rigatoni is the ideal pasta here because its ridges &amp; wide opening capture plenty of meat sauce. Try to look for mezzi rigatoni, &amp; be sure to boil it just under al dente to ensure it doesn't overcook as the pasta bakes.
Cheesiness. This baked rigatoni is layered with creamy ricotta &amp; melty mozzarella for a lasagna-like effect (without the fuss of assembling a lasagna!) so each serving has an epic cheese pull – everyone at the table will be so impressed!

It's really the perfect pasta bake, &amp; I think you'll love it as much as we do. ♡ Happy cooking!

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage &amp; Ricotta

mezzi rigatoni (see Recipe Notes)

bell pepper (yellow, orange

yellow onion, diced

cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated

teaspoon fennel seeds

red pepper flakes

cup tomato paste

dry, unoaked white wine

can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

tomatoes

flat leaf spinach

parmesan cheese (approx. 3 ounces), divided

whole milk ricotta

mozzarella cheese (approx. 16 ounces), divided

salt black pepper, to season

Boil the pasta

Generously season a large pot of water &amp; bring to a boil. Add the rigatoni &amp; cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is 2-3 minutes under al dente (“al dente” cooking time is typically included in package directions). Drain the pasta – do not rinse! – &amp; set aside. (Learn more ⇢ How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Single Time!)

Begin building the sauce – soften the veggies &amp; brown the sauce

Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot &amp; shimmering, add the bell pepper &amp; onion, seasoning with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened &amp; fragrant, 4-5 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet. Let it brown for 2-3 minutes, then use a wooden spoon to break it apart into fine crumbles. Continue to cook &amp; crumble until the sausage is nicely browned &amp; rendered, 2-3 minutes more. Stir to combine with the softened veggies.

Cook the aromatics: 

Push the sausage &amp; veggies to the side of the skillet &amp; add the garlic, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, &amp; crushed red pepper flakes (if using) to the skillet such that everything comes into contact with the hot surface of the skillet. Cooking until just fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Build the tomato sauce: 

Stir the tomato paste into the skillet, stirring to coat the sausage &amp; veggies. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until deeply red. Deglaze the pan by slowly pouring in the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Once the wine is almost completely cooked off, add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes (&amp; their juices), spinach, &amp; 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. Stir to combine &amp; wilt the spinach. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken slightly &amp; build flavor. Taste &amp; adjust seasoning accordingly, then remove from the heat.

Baked rigatoni assembly

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the upper third of the oven. Lightly spritz a large piece of foil &amp; a 9&#215;13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Add the rigatoni to the prepared tomato sauce, tossing well to ensure all of the pasta is coated. Transfer half of the pasta &amp; sauce to the prepared baking dish. Dot 1/2 of the ricotta over the surface of the pasta, then sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella cheese over top. Repeat by building one more layer – pasta &amp; sauce, ricotta, mozzarella. Finish by sprinkling the remaining 1/2 cup grated parmesan over top.

Bake the baked rigatoni: 

Place the pan on top of a baking sheet then cover with the prepared foil. Once the oven is preheated, transfer to the oven &amp; bake 25 minutes, until the baked rigatoni is bubbling &amp; the cheese is melted. Carefully remove the foil &amp; turn the oven’s broiler on high. Broil the baked rigatoni about 5 minutes, keeping a close eye on it as it broils to make sure it doesn’t burn, until it’s as bubbly &amp; golden brown as you like.

Rest, slice, &amp; serve

Carefully remove the baked rigatoni from the oven. Allow to cool slightly, then serve topped with additional grated parmesan or finely chopped fresh herbs as desired. Enjoy!

Saw this a while ago and pinned it. I’m starting to think about my holiday cooking and I think it will the perfect dish (and easy) for serving as my first course for Christmas dinner. Thank you.

Looks incredible! I like the short rigatoni here - also a plus if you’re cooking for kids

Amazing recipe and easy to pull together! I used full size rigatoni and followed the instructions exactly. This is now my go-to :)

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/IvxRqaZC.mp4

Even better than baked ziti – Baked Rigatoni with Sausage & Ricotta! Toss al dente pasta in homemade meat sauce made by simmering Italian sausage with tomatoes, aromatic veggies, & wine. Layer with 2 cheeses – creamy ricotta & mozzarella for the best cheese pull – & bake until bubbling & golden. This easy baked rigatoni recipe is seriously cheesy, hearty, & total comfort food. Perfect for Sunday supper! Make ahead-friendly. 

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