This Rigatoni al Forno Recipe is a classic Italian baked rigatoni that is always a crowd-pleaser! Complete with both beef and Italian sausage, cooked in a rich and hearty tomato sauce, three kinds of cheese, fresh basil, and lots of seasonings, this dish is a comforting and satisfying meal great for any occasion or large group gathering.
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Who doesn't love a baked pasta dish? This recipe has been tested many times by our friends and family, and it's a hit every time. This Italian comfort food staple is made with a delicious meat sauce, rigatoni pasta, and gooey cheese that could rival your favorite Italian restaurant!
Looking for more yummy pasta dishes? Try this chicken and shrimp carbonara, this slow cooker lamb ragu, or this creamy salmon pasta!
You may also like these Italian sausage stuffed peppers and this Italian sausage soup!
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Comfort food. It's a classic and comforting Italian dish that's perfect for a cozy night in.
- Incredibly tasty. This aromatic sauce is packed with flavor, meat, and cheese. It pairs perfectly with short pasta like rigatoni. It's truly a favorite, go-to meal in our household that keeps us fed for days on end!
- Super cheesy. The three types of cheese (ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan) add the perfect amount of cheese to this pasta bake.
- Easy to make. We love recipes that are straightforward and simple to prepare. This recipe is pretty foolproof. Simply make a hearty bolognese sauce with ground meat, aromatics, crushed tomatoes, and spices, then layer it with cooked pasta and cheese, then bake until golden brown. Voila! Dinner is served!
- Prep ahead. Feel free to make this recipe in advance, assembling the layers with cheese and then covering it with foil. It can be stored this way in the fridge for up to 2 days. When it comes time to bake, simply pop it into the oven and bake as usual until golden brown!
- Feed lots of people. This recipe is great for serving a crowd because one batch makes 16 hearty & filling servings!
- Great for meal prep. Leftovers are just as delicious and can be reheated for a quick and easy lunch or dinner the next day.
🍅Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Olive oil
- Yellow onions
- Garlic
- Kosher salt & black pepper
- Dry seasonings - We go heavy on the seasoning, and the reward is great! We use a spicy, smoky, herbaceous mixture of Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes for a little kick of spice. You can omit anything you don't like, but we think this spice blend is what makes the dish so fantastic.
- Tomato paste
- Italian sausage
- Ground beef
- Crushed tomatoes
- Water
- Fresh basil
- Rigatoni pasta
- Reserved pasta water - Make sure to save some of the starchy water you used to cook the pasta, it helps bring the sauce all together and helps the sauce cling to the noodles!
- Mozzarella & parmesan cheese - You can use pre-shredded cheeses here, they work perfectly fine.
- Ricotta cheese
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here's a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Spicier. Add more red pepper flakes or some Calabrian chilis (affiliate link) to the sauce for a kick of spice.
- Add veggies. We often add bell peppers to this dish and cook them alongside the onions for an even deeper flavor. You could also add veggies like mushrooms, eggplant, or zucchini.
- Creamy. Mix in a half cup of heavy cream or half-and-half to the tomato sauce for a creamier, richer flavor.
- Swap the tomato sauce. Feel free to use your favorite marinara sauce instead of crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. You could use whole tomatoes or even sweet fresh tomatoes in the summer time. Check out this chicken pomodoro recipe that relies on a vibrant homemade tomato sauce.
- Pesto version. Swirl in some homemade walnut pesto for lots of basil flavor!
- Add more cheeses. You can always mix it up by adding cheeses like asiago, or even fresh mozzarella cheese.
- Swap the Italian sausage. Don't have Italian sausage? No problem. Try using ground pork instead. You may need to add more seasoning if using just ground pork.
- Swap the meat. You can use all beef, or all Italian sausage, or simply omit one or the other if you prefer. You could even use ground chicken or ground turkey instead!
- Richer sauce. Add red wine to broth for even more flavor!
🔪Prep work
- Dice onions.
- Mince garlic.
- Remove Italian sausage from the casings if using links.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Preheat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Measure out all ingredients.
📋Instructions
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the onion with a pinch of salt, and cook until starting to soften, about 4 minutes.
Once the onion has softened, add in the tomato paste, minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano, fennel seeds, and smoked paprika. (Image 1)
Cook until the tomato paste begins to deepen in color, about 2-3 minutes. (Image 2)
Add the rest of the olive oil, followed by the ground beef, Italian sausage, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon. (Image 3)
Cook meat until completely browned and cooked through. Do not drain! Lots of flavor is in the oil. (Image 4)
Add crushed tomatoes, water, and basil to the skillet with a big pinch of salt. (Image 5)
Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, and remove about half of the meat sauce into a separate bowl and set aside. (Image 6)
Meanwhile, heavily salt the boiling pasta water. You will want about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt per pound of pasta. Cook the rigatoni until al dente, 2-3 minutes under the package directions.
Save 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Add the cooked pasta to the Dutch oven with the remaining sauce. (Image 7)
Toss the mixture to combine, adding splashes of pasta water if necessary to help the sauce cling to the noodles. Place a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, followed by a layer of rigatoni tossed in sauce. (Image 8)
Layer on some of the mozzarella cheese, some dollops of ricotta, and parmesan cheese. (Image 9)
Continue layering noodles and cheese until all of the noodles are in the baking dish. Layer the rest of the meat sauce over top to help prevent the noodles from drying out while the pasta bakes. (Image 10)
Add a thick layer of the remaining ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. (Image 11)
Bake the rigatoni in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired to get the cheese to brown up. (Image 12)
Allow the pasta to rest for about 10 minutes before digging in to make it easier to scoop out portions.
Serve with a simple side salad like this arugula spinach salad, or this air fryer garlic bread!
✨Tips & tricks
- Don't overcook the rigatoni. We recommend cooking the rigatoni a few minutes UNDER the package instructions. It will be a bit firm still. This will ensure it doesn't get overcooked in the oven as it bakes. No one like mushy pasta!
- Be sure to season the meat with salt and pepper. In general, a great cooking tip is to add salt in stages.
- Use a good quality canned crushed tomatoes for the sauce. The majority of the flavor from this sauce comes from the tomatoes, so use the best ones you can find. San Marzano tomatoes (affiliate link) are a great option.
- Use fresh herbs whenever possible for maximum flavor. Fresh basil really adds that extra bit of flavor to the sauce, and it's hard to replicated fresh! However, if you don't have fresh basil, just use plenty of dried basil.
- Let the baked rigatoni cool for a few minutes before serving. This allows the cheese to set, which makes scooping out servings much easier.
🌿More Italian Recipes
- Marinated mozzarella balls
- Whipped ricotta recipe
- Crispy prosciutto recipe
- Burrata and prosciutto arugula salad
Need supplies? Shop our Amazon store! Stock your pantry, and find all of our favorite kitchen tools! A Full Living LLC earns a small commission through purchases on our storefront to help support this site.
💭Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover pasta airtight container or covered with plastic wrap after allowing it to cool at room temperature.
To freeze, allow to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and reheat in the oven, air fryer, or gently in the microwave.
Follow all of the same steps of preparing the sauce, pasta, and layering, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days before you plan to serve the dish. When it comes time to bake, simply preheat the oven and cook as usual.
You can also prepare the meat sauce and store that in the fridge for up to 3 days before assembling the dish. We'd recommend cooking the pasta the day of if you choose this method, because it will begin to harden and stick if it's not tossed with the sauce.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Rigatoni Al Forno (Baked Rigatoni)
Equipment
- large stockpot
- large dutch oven (or large skillet)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed (optional)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional and to taste)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 8 ounces water (to rinse the tomato can and thin the sauce)
- handful of fresh basil (optional and to taste)
- 1 pound cooked rigatoni
- 30 ounces ricotta cheese
- 24 ounces low-moisture shredded mozzarella cheese
- 5 ounces parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Preheat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and the onion with a pinch of salt, and cook until starting to soften, about 4 minutes. Once the onion has softened, add in the tomato paste, minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, oregano, fennel seeds, and smoked paprika. Cook until the tomato paste begins to deepen in color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the olive oil, followed by the ground beef, Italian sausage, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon. Cook the meat until completely browned and cooked through. Do not drain!
- Add crushed tomatoes, water, and basil to the skillet with a big pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, and remove about half of the meat sauce into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heavily salt the boiling pasta water. You will want about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt per pound of pasta. Cook the rigatoni until al dente. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Add the cooked pasta to the Dutch oven with the remaining sauce. Toss the mixture to combine, adding splashes of pasta water if necessary to help the sauce cling to the noodles. Place a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, followed by a layer of rigatoni tossed in sauce.
- Layer on some of the mozzarella cheese, some dollops of ricotta, and parmesan cheese. Continue layering noodles and cheese until all of the noodles are in the baking dish. Layer the rest of the meat sauce over top to help prevent the noodles from drying out while the pasta bakes.
- Add a thick layer of the remaining ricotta, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Bake the rigatoni in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired to get the cheese to brown up. Allow the pasta to rest for about 10 minutes before digging in to make it easier to scoop out portions.
- Store leftover pasta airtight container or covered with plastic wrap after allowing it to cool at room temperature. To freeze, allow to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and reheat in the oven, air fryer, or gently in the microwave.
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Don't overcook the rigatoni. We recommend cooking the rigatoni a few minutes UNDER the package instructions. It will be a bit firm still.
- Be sure to season the meat with salt and pepper.
- Use a good quality canned crushed tomatoes for the sauce.
- Use fresh herbs whenever possible for maximum flavor.
- Marinara sauce can be used in place of the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
- Add cheese to taste! We love a very cheesy bite.
- Season to taste.
- Italian sausage can be replaced with ground pork, or just all beef. Use any meat of your choice.
- Make-ahead directions: Follow all of the same steps of preparing the sauce, pasta, and layering, then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Store in the fridge for up to 2 days before you plan to serve the dish. When it comes time to bake, simply preheat the oven and cook as usual. You can also prepare the meat sauce and store that in the fridge for up to 3 days before assembling the dish. We'd recommend cooking the pasta the day of if you choose this method, because it will begin to harden and stick if it's not tossed with the sauce.
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