Description
This Italian Rigatoni Bake recipe is the perfect cozy dinner for any night of the week. Made with rigatoni pasta, hearty ground beef, marinara sauce, and layers of melty cheese, it’s a crowd-pleasing comfort food classic. Ideal for family meals, potlucks, or meal prepping.
Ingredients
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups marinara sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Boil rigatoni pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain and set aside.
2. In a skillet, brown ground beef with diced onion over medium heat until fully cooked.
3. Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
4. Stir in tomato paste and marinara sauce. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce. Mix the rest of the sauce with cooked pasta.
6. Add ricotta by spoonfuls, stir gently, and top with mozzarella and parmesan.
7. Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
8. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
9. Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm.
Notes
Use al dente pasta to avoid overcooking in the oven.
Let the bake rest 5–10 minutes before serving for better slicing.
Swap ricotta with cottage cheese for a lighter version.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion (based on 8 servings)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 75mg