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A spoon serving up a portion of baked rigatoni pasta.
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Baked Rigatoni Pasta

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!
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 601kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage casings removed
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

For assembly

  • 16 ounces rigatoni pasta cooked according to package directions
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.

For the sauce

  • 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 assembly

  • 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.

Video

Notes

  1. Shred your own mozzarella cheese. Don't use pre-shredded cheese which often has anti-caking agents that prevent the cheese from melting well.
  2. Use a high quality marinara sauce. I like Newman's Own which has a nice complex flavor.
  3. I use 90% lean ground beef - it has plenty of flavor but is not overly greasy.
  4. If you can't find rigatoni at your local grocery store, penne is a good substitute.

Nutrition

Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 726mg | Potassium: 863mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 680IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 4mg