Baked Rigatoni Recipe

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.

Baked Rigatoni served on a white plate with the baking dish in the background

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

Get the recipe

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
Before You Begin!
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.

Baked Rigatoni served on a round white plate with a forkful creating a cheese pull

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

Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!

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

ground beef & sausage cooked in an iron skillet

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.

minced garlic added to the diced onions in an iron skillet

Step 3: Once the onions are translucent, add the garlic and cook for another minute.

cooked onion and garlic pushed to the side of the pan and tomato sauce added to the other side.

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.

Pasta and sauce being combined in a bowl. At the top of the picture is the pan of sauce with a ladle.

Step 8: Mix the drained rigatoni and sauce together.

pasta and sauce in the bottom of a baking dish

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

baked rigatoni in a white casserole dish

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.

Before You Begin!

If you make this recipe, please leave a review and star rating. This helps my business thrive and continue providing FREE recipes.

close up of a forkful of pasta with the serving on a plate in the background

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!

What is the difference between baked ziti and baked rigatoni?

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.

How do you not overcook baked pasta?

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

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