Description
A comforting and cheesy baked rigatoni dish perfect for holiday gatherings. This recipe features tender rigatoni pasta baked in a rich tomato sauce with plenty of melted mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook rigatoni pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef or sausage and cook until browned. Drain off excess fat.
- Add chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Spread about half of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Layer half of the cooked rigatoni over the sauce.
- Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the pasta.
- Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta.
- Repeat layers: remaining meat sauce, remaining rigatoni, remaining ricotta mixture, and remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are golden brown.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can add other vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers to the sauce.
- For a spicier dish, add red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Make ahead: Assemble the dish up to the point of baking, cover, and refrigerate. Add about 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th of dish
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
Keywords: Holiday Baked Rigatoni, Mozzarella, Baked Pasta, Cheesy Dinner, Easy Holiday Meal, Pasta Bake, Comfort Food