Baked Rigatoni
This baked rigatoni layers tender pasta and a rich meat sauce with dollops of ricotta and a thick blanket of melty mozzarella. A jar of good marinara plus canned San Marzano tomatoes gives it slow-simmered flavor with about 20 minutes of hands-on work.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage or lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion about 1 cup, finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated mozzarella cheese
- Fresh chopped parsley and/or basil for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a deep 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cook the rigatoni in generously salted water according to package directions, pulling it about a minute before al dente. Drain, but do not rinse.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the sausage or beef, onion and garlic and cook until the meat is cooked through, breaking it into crumbles as it goes. Season with the salt, Italian seasoning and pepper. Blot up any grease with tongs and a clean paper towel.
- Add the marinara and the canned tomatoes to the meat, breaking up the whole tomatoes in the pot. Heat through, about 4 minutes, then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir to coat.
- Pour half of the pasta into the prepared dish. Dollop with the ricotta and sprinkle with half the parmesan. Add the remaining pasta, the rest of the parmesan, and the mozzarella.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Broil briefly if you want browned spots. Garnish with parsley or basil and serve immediately.
Notes
- Undercook the pasta. Pull it about a minute before package al dente. It keeps cooking in the sauce during the bake.
- Grate your own mozzarella. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in starch and will not melt as smoothly.
- Cover it, then uncover it. The foil traps steam so the pasta does not dry out. The uncovered finish is what browns the cheese.
- Swap the meat freely. Italian sausage brings the most flavor, but lean ground beef, ground turkey or ground pork all work. Turkey runs leaner, so add a little extra olive oil.
- Add vegetables if you like. Sauteed mushrooms or diced green bell pepper go in with the onion. Fresh baby spinach can be stirred into the finished sauce.
- Ricotta is optional. It adds creamy, slightly salty pockets. Leave it out if you do not have it, swap it for cottage cheese (it will have a different texture), or stir it into the sauce instead of dolloping for a richer, more uniform result.
- Use a marinara you actually like. Rao's is worth seeking out for the ingredient quality and low sugar. San Marzano tomatoes are naturally sweet and low in acid, but any canned tomatoes will do.
- Store leftovers in the fridge. Keep them tightly wrapped for 3 to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, since the oven dries the casserole out.
- Freeze it before baking. Cover the assembled dish tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Calories: 626kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1563mg | Potassium: 799mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 859IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 329mg | Iron: 4mg
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