Baked Rigatoni

Rigatoni garnished with parsley in a baking dish

This cheesy baked rigatoni is the perfect comforting meal for families, with plenty of cheesy goodness, meaty sauce, and tender pasta.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Baked Rigatoni Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 640kcal

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente according to package directions
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ pound ground beef, ground round 85%-15%
½ pound ground mild Italian sausage
½ cup yellow onion, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
24 ounces tomato basil marinara sauce
14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes, juices drained
16 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large stock pot, boil the rigatoni pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, then place the pasta back into the pot. Set aside. You will make your sauce while your pasta is cooking.
In a medium skillet on medium-high heat, add the olive oil, ground beef, and ground mild Italian sausage. Cook and brown the meat for 3 minutes before adding the chopped yellow onion, minced garlic, dried basil, dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Continue to cook the meat, onions, and spices for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until all the meat is cooked through with no pink remaining. Drain any excess fat from the meat mixture.
Add the cooked meat mixture, crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce, and petite diced tomatoes that have had their juices drained to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine all the ingredients fully.
Add the entire bowl of meat sauce to your drained pasta pot and gently stir to combine.
Transfer the rigatoni pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Top the entire surface of the pasta and sauce with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. You can broil your baked rigatoni for the last 2 to 3 minutes if desired to lightly brown your cheese without overbaking your pasta.
Once your baked rigatoni has been removed from the oven, garnish it with the chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

Be sure you are using ground Italian sausage, NOT ground breakfast sausage. These will yield two completely different flavors.
Be sure not to overcook your pasta when boiling it. As your dish bakes, your pasta will continue to cook and absorb some of the liquids from the sauce.
Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your pasta at the lower end of the recommended baking time.
Allow your baked rigatoni pasta to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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