Easy Baked Rigatoni is a cheesy baked pasta with a rich and meaty sauce. This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough to pull out for dinner parties and holiday events. No one can resist a big, bubbling dish of this easy ground beef rigatoni!
This post was developed in partnership with Ohio Beef. As always, all opinions are my own.
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Baked Rigatoni for an Easy Dinner
After the cooking extravaganza that is Thanksgiving, I’m a big fan of switching to something a little lower key for Christmas. The last few years, I’ve turned to cheesy Italian pasta bakes like this Baked Rigatoni for something that feels special without requiring a full day in the kitchen.
This dish is rich and meaty, with enough gooey cheese on top to make it feel indulgent. It’s impressive enough for the holidays, but easy enough for a weeknight-my favorite kind of recipe!
Here’s why I think you’ll love it too:
- It’s easy to scale up or down. I wrote this recipe for a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish that can feed 10 people, but you can also halve it to make just the right amount for a small family.
- It’s simple and affordable. For holiday dinners, beef can be a versatile and affordable option. You don’t have to buy the most expensive cuts to make a really impressive meal, like this one!
- It’s make ahead friendly. This dish can be assembled in the morning, then popped in the oven right before dinner.
- It’s great for meal trains. This is a great casserole to take to new moms or families in need. You can find more meal train recipes and tips here.
Key Ingredients
- Rigatoni pasta– Technically you’ve gotta use rigatoni for, well, rigatoni, but this baked pasta dish can also be made with penne or ziti. You can also check out our Baked Ziti recipe!
- Ground beef– I recommend using 80/20 or 90/10 lean ground beef. Both options will provide protein as well as essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and B vitamins.
- Onion + Garlic– These two are the foundation of any great red sauce. They add so much flavor!
- Spices– I like to use a blend of dried parsley, fennel seed, red pepper flakes, basil, and oregano. This makes for a rich and flavorful sauce with a hint of heat and sweetness.
- Pasta sauce– Choose a high quality marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce. I love a tomato basil sauce.
- Cheese- Shredded mozzarella cheese melts into ooey gooey strings with every bite!
How to Make Baked Rigatoni
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook about 1 minute less than al dente. Drain, then place in a greased casserole dish.
Step 2: Saute the beef and aromatics. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef, breaking it up with a spoon and spreading it over the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, then stir and add the onion. Continue to cook another 4-5 minutes, or until onion is softened and beef is cooked through. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain grease, then season with parsley, fennel, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Step 4: Add marinara sauce and season (again). Pour in both cans of marinara sauce. Sprinkle with basil and oregano. Stir well and heat through.
Step 5: Stir together. Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta in the baking dish, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.
Step 6: Bake. Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 23-27 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and cheese is fully melted.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
- Storage: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- Reheating: Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or reheat a large portion in the oven, covered in foil. Remove the foil for the last few minutes to re-crisp the top.
- Make ahead: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge, or you can prep the whole dish up to 8 hours in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove the dish from the fridge while you preheat the oven, then bake as usual. You may need to add 5 minutes to the baking time.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Cook the pasta to just barely al dente. My biggest beef with baked pastas is that the pasta sometimes get mushy. You definitely want to tend towards the slightly under-boiled side of the pasta, as it will continue to soften a bit as you bake it. This is especially true if you’re making it ahead of time!
- Broil if you like crispy bits! My husband loves when the rigatoni on top and on the edges gets a little browned and crusty. If this is your jam, you can switch the broiler on to brown the top before serving.
- Substitute a pound of the ground beef for Italian sausage. Use hot Italian sausage for a kick!
- Swap the pasta. This works great with ziti, penne, or even rigatoni. We’ve also made it with gluten free pasta varieties.
- Experiment with different cheeses. Adding in some Parmesan cheese or provolone could be great, or you could try Swiss, which is the unexpected cheese that makes our Cottage Cheese Lasagna so irresistible.
- Season with your heart. Every jarred pasta sauce is a bit different, so I recommend tasting as you go and adding herbs and salt as needed.
- If you want a creamier baked pasta, I recommend our Company Casserole.
What to Serve with Baked Rigatoni
First, we’ve gotta have a garlicky carb situtation. I recommend cheesy garlic bread or garlic dinner rolls.
For a veggie side, skillet green beans, roasted zucchini and peppers, or roasted balsamic green beans and mushrooms would all be lovely.
A simple garden salad, That Good Salad, or a creamy Caesar salad would all make bright, fresh starters or accompaniments.
Holiday Beef Recipes for Every Budget
Budget friendly ground beef is great for baked pastas, including our popular Cottage Cheese Lasagna, Cheesy One Pot Lasagna, Johnny Marzetti, and Ground Beef Stuffed Shells.
Chuck roasts, stew meat, and sirloin steak are mid tier options that can make a delectable holiday dinner. Try them in our Crock Pot Shredded Beef, this rich and meaty Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Dumplings, or our Crock Pot Steak Bites.
Looking for a showstopper? This Easy Prime Rib Roast or Steak and Scallops is the way to go!
Interested in how your beef makes it from pasture to plate? Every step of the way, Ohio’s beef
farmers stay committed to providing excellent care for their animals, protecting the environment,
and producing healthy beef for families. Learn more about the lifecycle from Beef. It’s
What’s For Dinner.
Visit www.OhioBeef.org, and follow the Ohio Beef Council on Facebook and Instagram for
beef nutrition facts, cooking tips, recipes and to meet Ohio’s beef farming families.
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Cheesy Baked Rigatoni with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb. rigatoni
- Olive oil (to coat)
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds (crushed)
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 2 24 oz cans marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and boil about 1 minute less than the al dente package instructions. Drain, then place in the prepared baking dish.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef, breaking it up with a spoon and spreading it over the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, then stir and add the onion. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 6-7 minutes, or until onion is softened and beef is cooked through. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Drain off any excess grease.
- Stir in the parsley, fennel, and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Pour in both cans of marinara sauce. Sprinkle with basil and oregano. Stir well and heat through.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the pasta in the baking dish, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with cheese, then bake for 23-27 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and starting to brown in places.
Notes
- Substitute Italian sausage for half of the ground beef if you prefer.
- This recipe also works with ziti, penne, or rigatoni pasta.
- If you love when some of the pastas get a bit crunchy, broil the dish for a few minutes before serving.
- Every jarred pasta sauce is a bit different, so I recommend tasting as you go and adding herbs and salt as needed and to your tastes.
- To make ahead: Make the sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and store in the fridge. Assemble the pasta up to 8 hours in advance and refrigerate, covered. Remove the pasta from the oven while you preheat the oven, then bake as usual, adding an extra five minutes to the time.
Nutrition
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