Baked Rigatoni Pasta Recipe

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!

You can never go wrong with pasta as a hearty main course, whether it’s Cajun shrimp pasta, baked tortellini, or this simple yet satisfying baked rigatoni.

When I need to cook for a large group, I often make a big dish full of baked rigatoni pasta. It’s east to make, popular with both kids and adults, and can be easily customized to fit anyone’s preferences.

What is rigatoni pasta used for?

Rigatoni is a hearty, tube shaped pasta with ridges on the outside which help the sauce adhere to the noodles. Rigatoni is great for baked pasta dishes, and holds up well to thicker sauces such as cream sauces or chunky tomato sauces. If you can’t find rigatoni at your local grocery store, penne is a good substitute.

How do you make baked rigatoni?

Make baked rigatoni by first cooking up a combination of ground beef and mild Italian sausage. Make sure to break up the meat into small crumbles.  Add an onion to the pan and cook it until softened. Saute a little garlic in that pan and add marinara and tomato sauces. When the sauce has simmered and thickened, toss some cooked rigatoni in the sauce. Pour the pasta and sauce into a baking pan and top it with mozzarella cheese. Bake the dish until the cheese is golden brown and melted. Serve the pasta with a little chopped parsley on top.

Tips for the perfect baked rigatoni

• Shred your own mozzarella cheese. Don’t use pre-shredded cheese which often has anti-caking agents that prevent the cheese from melting well.
• Use a high quality marinara sauce. I like Newman’s Own which has a nice complex flavor.
• I use 90% lean ground beef – it has plenty of flavor but is not overly greasy.
• This dish can be assembled up to 6 hours before you plan to bake it. Store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to put it in the oven. You may need to add a few minutes more to the cook time to compensate for starting with a chilled dish.

Baked rigatoni pasta variations

I typically make this recipe exactly as it’s written. However, you can modify the recipe to suit your tastes.

• Meat – Try using ground turkey, turkey sausage or diced cooked chicken instead of ground beef and Italian sausage.
• Vegetables – Add sauteed vegetables to the sauce such as mushrooms, spinach, zucchini or bell peppers. Olives, sun dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts are also fabulous in this dish.
• Cheese – Instead of mozzarella, try another cheese that melts well like provolone or fontina. You can also add a layer of ricotta in the middle of the dish.

Can you freeze baked pasta?

This dish can be frozen for up to 2 months. Tightly cover the top of your dish with foil, then cover everything with plastic wrap to get as tight of a seal as possible. You can thaw the dish, or bake it from frozen. If you bake from frozen, you’ll need to add another 20-30 minutes to the cook time.

This recipe is easy to make and will delight your family and friends. Give this dish a try the next time you are in the mood for some good old fashioned comfort food!

More pasta dishes you’ll enjoy

• Mushroom Pasta with Bacon
• Buffalo Chicken Pasta
• Pasta Pomodoro
• Butternut Squash Pasta
• Philly Cheesesteak Pasta

Baked Rigatoni Video