Description
This rigatoni pasta bake recipe features tender rigatoni tossed in marinara sauce with seasoned ground beef, onions, and garlic, baked under melted mozzarella and Parmesan. Quick, cheesy, and family-friendly, it’s perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep, serving 8 with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups marinara sauce
- 1 pound dry rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook ground beef and onion in a saucepan until beef is no longer pink; drain fat.
- Add Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, red chili flakes, and black pepper; sauté 1 minute.
- Stir in marinara sauce and simmer 5 minutes; remove from heat.
- Cook rigatoni to al dente, drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water; stir into sauce.
- Toss pasta with sauce gently, then spread in prepared baking dish.
- Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake 15–20 minutes until bubbly and golden; broil 1–2 minutes if desired.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Slightly undercook pasta for perfect texture after baking. Extra cheese can be added for richer bake.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th (~1.5 cups)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: rigatoni pasta bake, cheesy pasta bake, easy pasta bake, baked rigatoni, family pasta bake, Italian comfort food