Creamy and Cheesy Rigatoni Pasta Bake
This Rigatoni Pasta is a saucy layered pasta dish baked to creamy, cheesy perfection. It’s an easy weeknight dinner that stores and reheats well for lunch the next day.
Craving more delicious pasta recipes? Try my Creamy Pasta with Lemon Pepper Salmon Bites and Cheesy Baked Spaghetti next!
Every night can be pasta night when you have this Italian-inspired rigatoni pasta recipe! Homemade tomato sauce with savory ground beef clings to al dente pasta. Layered with three cheeses and fresh herbs, this baked rigatoni pasta is great comfort food with a gooey cheese pull.
Ingredients
I’ve found another way to put my homemade marinara sauce to good use with this rich rigatoni pasta bake. The 3-cheese combo of creamy ricotta cheese, stretchy mozzarella, and sharp Colby jack perfectly complements the pasta. Fresh basil adds a bright, aromatic finishing touch that ties it all together.
- Rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained
- Ground beef, cooked and crumbled
- Marinara sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- All purpose seasoning
- Sazon seasoning
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Colby jack cheese, shredded
- Fresh basil, chiffonade (slice into long strips)
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Rigatoni Pasta
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a large casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Fill a large pot with water, bring it to a boil, and season generously with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook it for about 10 minutes until it is just shy of al dente; then drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until it’s completely browned and no pink remains.
Drain any excess fat, then mix in your homemade marinara sauce and all the seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, all-purpose seasoning, and Sazon. Combine these ingredients thoroughly to ensure the flavors meld.
Next, take a small bowl and mix about a quarter cup of the meat sauce with the ricotta cheese. This helps to soften the ricotta, making it easier to spread. Now it’s time to assemble the bake: spread about one to two cups of meat sauce evenly across the bottom of your prepared dish.
Layer some of the cooked rigatoni over the sauce, followed by dollops of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella and Colby jack cheese over the ricotta.
Then repeat the layering process until all ingredients are used, ensuring the final layer is a generous sprinkle of cheese.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese on top is deliciously melted and bubbly.
Once done, remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil chiffonade, and allow the dish to cool slightly before serving. This step ensures each serving holds together nicely. Finally, enjoy your cheesy rigatoni pasta bake.
Hint: Cook the rigatoni until it’s just under al dente. Since it will continue cooking in the oven, this prevents it from becoming too mushy.
Substitutions
- Meat – Instead of ground beef, you could try boneless chicken breasts, ground turkey, or sweet Italian sausage (try spicy Italian sausage for a kick).
- Pasta – I love rigatoni but you can make this recipe with another tube-shaped pasta like penne or ziti.
- Cheese – Sprinkle parmesan cheese atop the assembled pasta bake for a salty, savory finish.
Variations
- Spicy – Add crushed red pepper flakes to make a spicy variation of this recipe.
- Vegetarian – Omit the ground beef to make this a meatless meal. You can also sauté mushrooms to use as a meat substitute.
Equipment
You will need a large pot to boil your pasta and cook the ground beef. Use a colander to properly drain the cooked rigatoni. An oven-safe dish (deep baking dish) is essential for this pasta bake.
Covering the dish with aluminum foil during the initial baking prevents the cheese from burning while allowing the heat to penetrate through the layers, melding the flavors together.
Storage
Store baked rigatoni pasta in an airtight container after it’s cooled to room temperature. Leftovers last up to 4 days in the fridge but if you freeze it, it can last up to 4 months.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave or warm up larger servings in the oven (350℉ for about 15 minutes). To defrost frozen rigatoni noodles, leave it on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before reheating.
Top tip
Layering is crucial to this recipe. Mix some of the marinara sauce into the ricotta cheese to make it more flavorful and easier to spread. For the mozzarella and Colby jack, consider the melt and pull you desire in the final dish. Layering the cheeses throughout ensures that every bite is gooey and delicious.
FAQ
What is the difference between penne and rigatoni?
Rigatoni is a larger, wider pasta than penne. They have a similar tube shape but rigatoni noodles have ridges that help them cling to thicker sauces. Whereas penne is smoother and great for lighter dishes.
What sauce goes well with rigatoni?
Rigatoni pairs well with thick, hearty sauces, like the meaty marinara sauce used in this pasta bake recipe. Alternatively, try it it with creamy Alfredo sauce or another meat sauce like Bolognese.
What is rigatoni pasta good for?
Rigatoni is a versatile noodle that works well in casseroles or baked pasta dishes. It’s wide tube shape and ridged surface makes it ideal for rich, hearty sauces.
Related
Looking for more easy pasta dishes like this? Try these:
Creamy and Cheesy Rigatoni Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 pound Rigatoni pasta, cooked and drained
- 1 pound Ground beef, cooked and crumbled
- 3 cups Marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ tablespoon Garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon All purpose seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Sazon seasoning
- 2 cups Ricotta cheese
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 3 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded
- Fresh basil, chiffonade (slice into long strips)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt to the water to help season the pasta as it boils. Once the water begins to boil, gently pour the pasta into the water. Boil the pasta for about 10 minutes, until it is just under al dente.
- Drain the pasta from the water immediately, and set it aside. You do not want to over-boil the pasta because it will continue to cook in the oven when you bake it.
- Once the ground beef is cooked until there is no more pink showing, mix in the marinara sauce, and add in all of the seasonings including the Italian seasoning, the garlic powder, all purpose seasoning, and Sazon seasoning. Stir everything together until it is all fully combined.
- Mix about ¼ cup of the meat sauce in a bowl with the ricotta cheese, just to make it a bit smoother and easier to spread; then set it aside.
- Now begin to layer your pasta. Add about 1-2 cups of the meat sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it out in one even layer. Now add some of the rigatoni pasta, then spoon some of the ricotta cheese over the top of the pasta.
- Sprinkle on a handful of mozzarella cheese and colby jack cheese and spread it evenly over the top. Now spoon another layer of meat sauce over the top of the cheese, and repeat the layers of pasta, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella and colby jack cheese until you have used all of your ingredients.
- Be sure to end the top layer with the shredded cheese. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Bake the rigatoni pasta for about 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and melted and bubbly.
- Remove the rigatoni pasta bake from the oven. Top with fresh basil, and enjoy!
