This baked rigatoni recipe is pasta tossed in a flavorful meat sauce, then topped with plenty of cheese and baked until golden brown. Baked apples with cream cheese 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. A spoon serving up a portion of baked rigatoni pasta.
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. Homemade meat sauce in a pan.
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. Rigatoni pasta tossed with meat sauce. 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. 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.