One of my family's favorite meals is this Baked Rigatoni Recipe that I'm sharing with you today.
Made with pasta, homemade tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese it's a great meal to serve for busy weeknights yet special enough to serve to friends and family!
An added bonus—it freezes well! So if you have leftovers, no need to worry; simply store them in the freezer for an easy, delicious meal later.
Be sure to browse the full collection of Family Dinner Ideas for even more delicious recipe options.
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In just over an hour, you’ll have a golden-brown, bubbly, and cheesy baked pasta dish fresh from the oven. It’s easy to prepare and uses pantry ingredients you most likely already have on hand.
Looking for more pasta recipes to add to your Weekly Meal Plans? Try my Cheesy Chili Pasta Casserole and even my Monterey Chicken Pasta Recipe. Yum!
Check out my easy recipe for...
Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce
Table of Contents
- Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce
- Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Kitchen Tools Spotlight
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Quick Tip
- Baking Instructions
- LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
- Recipe FAQ's
- Prep Ahead Tips
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- More Recipes You'll Love!
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Food Safety Tips
- 💬 Comments
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make: Quick prep with simple ingredients makes it perfect for busy nights or relaxing weekends.
Prepare Ahead: You can assemble it in advance and bake it later for a hassle-free meal.
Customizable: Swap out the meat, cheese, or veggies to match your taste or diet.
Family-Friendly: This cheesy pasta bake is a hit with both kids and adults.
Great for Leftovers: Reheats beautifully, so it’s perfect for meal prep or enjoying the next day.
Kitchen Tools Spotlight
- Rotary Cheese Grater: My favorite new kitchen tool that I use a few times a week! It has a hand crank for easy use and 3 interchangeable blades, it’s perfect for shredding cheese, vegetables, nuts, and more!
- Meat Chopper: Works perfectly to break up meat without damaging non stick pans surfaces.
Rotary Cheese Grater with Handle, Cheese Grater Hand Crank, Fast Cutting Grater for Kitchen with 3 Interchangeable Blades, Vegetable Slicer, Cheese Shredder with Suction Cup Base, Dishwasher Safe
Meat Chopper, 5 Curve Blades Ground Beef Masher, Heat Resistant Meat Masher Tool for Hamburger Meat, Ground Beef, Turkey and More, Nylon Hamburger Chopper Utensil Non-scratch Utensils
Recipe Ingredients
Below is a quick preview of the ingredients you’ll need. For exact amounts, check the recipe card below. You can also use the "Shopping List button" to create a printable shopping list, or the "Get Ingredients button" in the recipe card to order groceries online.
Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to add some vegetables, such as spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini.
- You can omit either meat, however, the recipe will be extra saucy with only one.
- This recipe only needs 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning because the Italian sausage already adds a lot of flavor. However, if you don’t use Italian sausage, increase the Italian seasoning to 1 ½ teaspoons.
- To add some heat to the recipe, use spicy Italian sausage or add crushed red pepper.
- Other pastas such as penne can be used in this recipe, but the rigatoni stands up best to the meaty sauce.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the pasta according to the package directions minus 1 minute. While the pasta is boiling, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage removed from its casings.
Step 2: Remove the meat and any grease if needed then add the onions and cook until translucent.
Step 3: Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Step 4: Push the onions and garlic to the side and add the tomato paste to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until it becomes a dark red.
Quick Tip
Try my Homemade Italian Seasoning Mix! It's fresher, more flavorful, and free of additives compared to store-bought blends!
Step 5: Add the water to the tomato paste and mix to combine, then add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
Step 6: Mix in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sugar.
Step 7: Add the meat back into the sauce and combine.
Step 8: Mix the drained rigatoni and sauce together.
Step 9: Ladle half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish that's been prepared with cooking spray.
Step 10: Add half the mozzarella cheese and half the Parmesan cheese.
Step 11: Ladle the rest of the pasta mixture on top of the cheese layer.
Step 12: Top with the remaining cheese and cover the pan with aluminum foil. (Tent the foil a bit so it doesn't stick to the cheese.)
Baking Instructions
Step 13: Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The sauce will be bubbly and cheese fully melted. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
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Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to each question. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
The main difference between is in the shape of the pasta. Ziti is a smooth, tube-shaped pasta with straight edges, while rigatoni is slightly larger, with ridges that help the tomato sauce cling better, making it ideal for heartier dishes.
To avoid overcooking baked pasta, first you need to make sure you boil the noodles "al dente" since they will continue cooking in the oven. Make sure you add enough tomato sauce to keep it moist.
Prep Ahead Tips
You can assemble this recipe up to a day in advance, cover it with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate until ready to bake. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the baking time if starting from cold.
This recipe can also be prepped ahead and frozen before baking by assembling it in a freezer-safe dish, covering it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn, and labeling it with the date.
Freeze for up to 3 months, and when you're ready to bake, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed, adding 10-15 minutes to the baking time if necessary.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow the dish to cool completely before refrigerating to prevent condensation.
Freeze Baked Leftovers: Place any leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Label with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw and Reheat: Allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator then reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the entire dish in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
More Recipes You'll Love!
Check out my other recipe for Stuffed Zucchini with Beef and Cheese. Or you might like this recipe for Lazy Lasagna.
📖 Recipe Card
Baked Rigatoni Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- fresh parsley, chopped
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Boil pasta according to package directions minus 1 minute. When finished cooking, drain, and set aside.
- While the pasta boils, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large skillet or pot breaking it up until cooked through. Drain grease as needed. When the meat is fully cooked, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add onions to the pan and sauté until the onions are translucent. Once they are translucent, add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Push the onions and garlic to the side, and add the tomato paste to the pan. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until the color becomes a dark red. Add the water and mix until combined.
- Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, seasoning, sugar, and meat back into the pan.
- Mix the sauce into the drained rigatoni. Ladle half of the pasta into a 9x13 baking dish. Add half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheese. Ladle the rest of the pasta into the pan, and top with the remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Be sure to tent the foil so it doesn’t stick to the cheese. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling along the edges and the cheese is fully melted.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Notes
- This recipe calls for just 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning since the Italian sausage provides plenty of flavor. If you're not using Italian sausage, increase the seasoning to 1 ½ teaspoons.
- When cooking the pasta, reduce the boiling time by one minute from the package instructions to achieve al dente texture.
- For a spicy kick, try adding spicy Italian sausage or add crushed red pepper to the sauce.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Food Safety Tips
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Estelle Forrest says
A hearty family meal! I appreciate you sharing this at the #HomeMattersParty last week. I hope you will come again this week to see your featured post.
Leslie says
Yum, that's my kind of meal! I would love to make this with gluten free pasta. Visiting you from SSPS.