Cheesy Baked Rigatoni

This cheesy baked rigatoni is a quick and easy pasta dish that you can throw together in less than 35 minutes. It’s packed with flavourful beef tomato sauce, topped with lots of cheese, and baked until golden brown and bubbly!

A warm, flavour-packed dish like this pasta bake is perfect for chillier days when you want something delicious and comforting for dinner. Pair it with a glass of red wine and cheesy garlic bread for the ultimate comfort meal.

This baked rigatoni doesn’t require any canned marinara sauce, it’s packed with from-scratch flavour using everyday ingredients.

Large pasta dishes like this baked rigatoni are perfect for feeding a large family or a crowd because they are quick and easy to throw together. It’s also super affordable!

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Ingredients & Substitutions

• Rigatoni – the star of this dish is the rigatoni pasta. The size of the pasta allows the beef sauce to mix inside all the crevices, making every bite delicious! You can also use penne pasta.
• Ground beef/beef mince – you can substitute this for pork sausage/pork mince or use half ground beef and half ground pork.
• Crushed tomatoes – a can of crushed and sieved tomatoes.
• Olive oil – any cooking oil will also do or butter.
• Dried oregano – herbs like thyme or Italian herbs will work, too.
• Garlic – crushed garlic
• Salt and pepper
• Tomato paste – to thicken the sauce and add a concentrated flavour.
• Onion – a yellow or white onion.
• Worcestershire sauce – to add flavour but not necessary.
• Mozzarella cheese – to make the top cheesy and bubbly.
• Parsley – for garnish.

How to Make Baked Rigatoni

The printable recipe card below has the full ingredients list and instructions.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180℃ (375℉). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta until al dente – reserve ½ cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta and pour it into a 9×13 baking dish; set aside.

Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and ground beef, breaking up into small pieces until cooked through and the onions are translucent. Add the crushed garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt and pepper to the beef and onion mixture. Mix to combine and cook until warmed through.

Step 4: Add the beef mixture to the pasta and mix to combine. Spread evenly across the baking dish

Step 5: Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Step 6: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Storage

Refrigerator – Store fully cooked in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing – This baked pasta can be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to tightly cover the top of your dish with foil, and then cover everything with plastic wrap to create a tight seal. You have the option to either thaw the dish or bake it from frozen. If you choose to bake it from frozen, you’ll need to add an additional 30-40 minutes to the cooking time.