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Deliciously cheesy baked rigatoni is meaty and hearty, a perfect family-style dish for any night of the week!
It’s similar to our Baked Ravioli and pairs perfectly with Olive Garden Breadsticks.
Who Doesn’t Love Pasta?!
We LOVE pasta at our house and eat it for dinner at least once a week! It’s easy, filling, and lends itself to a variety of flavor profiles.
Baked rigatoni is a new favorite easy pasta recipes. We had only had it once before but decided to come up with a recipe for it that the entire family loves and this specific version does the trick (it’s SO good!)
Just add a quick salad or Cheesy Garlic Bread to round out the delicious meal.
Why we love it:
- A family-friendly favorite. The hearty and comforting flavors of this dish make it perfect for family dinners, and kids will love the cheesy goodness.
- For busy nights. This dish preps quickly for a perfect weeknight dinner the family will LOVE!
- Ready when you are. It’s ideal for meal prepping and freezing, ensuring that you always have a delicious, homemade meal ready to go.
Ingredients
- rigatoni
- ground turkey – or ground chicken, ground beef, or Italian sausage.
- small onion
- minced garlic
- spaghetti sauce – Use a store-bought jar or Homemade Marinara Sauce.
- ricotta cheese – or cottage cheese
- eggs
- salt
- black pepper
- parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese – I sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese on top but you can use fresh sliced mozzarella circles to cover the dish.
How to Make Baked Rigatoni
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- PASTA. Cook rigatoni according to package directions.
- MEAT. In a large skillet, cook the ground meat, onions, and garlic until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent. Add the spaghetti sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- CHEESE. In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper, and parmesan. Toss the rigatoni with the ricotta mixture.
- LAYER. Spread half of the rigatoni in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Spread half of the meat sauce mixture over the top of the rigatoni. Sprinkle two cups of mozzarella over the top.
- Repeat with the remaining rigatoni and meat sauce, then top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- BAKE. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional ten minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Tips
- Pasta. Cook to al dente (firm to the bite with a slight resistance in the center). If the pasta is boiled too long and then baked it will become overly soft and mushy.
- Salting the pasta water is optional but infuses flavor directly into the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1½ tablespoons of salt per 1 pound of pasta to the water, then add the pasta. Cook to al dente and drain.
- Avoid dried pasta. When baking, exposed noodles tend to get dried out. Use ample sauce and cover the entire casserole with layers of cheese or cover the pan with aluminum foil during half of the bake time.
Variations
- Add veggies. shredded carrot, shredded zucchini, olives, mushrooms, diced bell peppers, chopped onion, or chopped fresh spinach or fresh basil leaves
- Add spice. stir in jalapeños, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce
- Meat. mix in pepperoni, sprinkle with bacon crumbles, use meat marinara sauce or bolognese sauce
Storing Tips
- Make ahead of time. Store unbaked pasta in the fridge or freezer to bake later. Complete steps 1-5 and allow it to cool before storing.
- Fridge: Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days before adding the cheese and baking.
- Freezer: Use a freezer-safe baking dish. Wrap it with plastic and again with foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw before removing the wrappings, adding the cheese, and baking.
- STORE. Cover and keep the leftover baked pasta recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days before reheating.
- FREEZE. Divide leftover baked rigatoni recipe into individual airtight containers and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Reheat baked rigatoni with ricotta in the microwave or 350°F oven.
For More Recipes:
Baked Rigatoni
Deliciously cheesy baked rigatoni is meaty and hearty, a perfect family-style dish for any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni, cooked according to package directions
- 1 pound ground turkey, or ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 (30-ounce) tub ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook rigatoni according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, cook the ground meat, onions, and garlic until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent. Add the spaghetti sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, salt, pepper, and parmesan. Toss the rigatoni with the ricotta mixture.
- Spread half of the rigatoni in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the meat sauce mixture over the top of the rigatoni. Sprinkle two cups of mozzarella over the top.
- Repeat with the remaining rigatoni and meat sauce, then top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and bake 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake an additional ten minutes.
Video
Notes
STORE. Cover and keep the leftover baked pasta recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days before reheating.
FREEZE. Divide leftovers into individual airtight containers and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Reheat baked rigatoni with ricotta in the microwave or 350°F oven.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g, Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 891mg, Potassium: 383mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 481IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 336mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved this! I used one of the ‘tips’ (cottage cheese instead of ricotta) and used a bit more sauce. I chose mild Italian sausage, stuck with the rigatoni AND freshly grated mozzarella as suggested. Followed instructions as written, with the exception of splitting it between two pans. The question was; would this be worth the time/effort, as opposed to basic pasta? YES!! The answer is YES!! The hubby and I both loved it, as well as the friends I shared the dish with. I’ll definitely be making this again.
My son is so picky. But he loves casseroles. This is one of his favorites.
This looks so good when I saw the picture it looked like something I would like to try. I could tell it was really good.
I am excited to share that I have made this dish, and it is truly delish!! I am Italian and have to say, I grew up eating pasta every which way it could be cooked, so sadly, I was tired of pasta. I mean maybe once in a blue moon I would have some, but pasta became far from a frequent friend. I know, I know – what kind of Italian am I, right?! Well, thank you to Kristyn and this recipe, I’ve come to appreciate, enjoy, and like pasta once again. I give this dish a 5 Star, and would give a higher rating if I could. I’m actually loving many many of your recipes Kristyn, even so, I had to pop on here to say you relinquished my relationship with pasta Rigatoni ~ Thanks! Toni
This is indeed so hearty, rich and flavorful! Can’t get enough of it!
This is a new family favorite! It’s so hearty and delicious, perfect for any night. Reminds me of home-cooked comfort food. Great with breadsticks!
Finally a recipe that my whole family loves!! It’s pretty rare so I am thankful. We are making it again Sunday to bring to my mother in laws!
I made this tonight, following the recipe exactly, except for adding a lot of extra garlic. My extremely picky fiance is on his third bowl as I write this. In fact, my mom is here and she’s getting her second helping now and everyone is raving about it! I’ll definitely be making this again by popular demand. Next time I may try adding some Italian seasonings and a few pepper flakes, but it’s delicious just as it is.