Description
This Easy Baked Rigatoni Pasta Recipe is a comforting and flavorful dish that’s perfect for a family dinner. With layers of pasta, savory meat sauce, and three kinds of cheese, this baked rigatoni is sure to become a favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
Meat Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cheese Mixture:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish:
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook pasta: Cook the rigatoni in salted boiling water until just shy of al dente, then drain.
- Prepare meat sauce: In a skillet, cook onion in olive oil, then add garlic and brown the meat. Stir in marinara sauce, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Toss cooked pasta with meat sauce and ricotta. Layer in a baking dish with cheeses.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes until golden.
- Rest and garnish: Let the dish rest before serving. Garnish with basil or parsley.
Notes
- You can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta or add spinach for extra veggies.
- This dish freezes well and makes great leftovers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 generous portion
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
