Baked Rigatoni with Beef

Pasta Preferences

We love the short cut, wide tubular shape of rigatoni pasta. With its lengthwise grooves it’s the natural choice in this baked rigatoni dish, as the grooves and holes help hold on to chunky sauces, like the one in this recipe, so you get yummy flavor in every bite. You’ll use half of a 16-oz box for this recipe. If you can’t find rigatoni or want to change up the pasta, we suggest an equal amount of penne or ziti pasta.

Other types of pasta could be used for this rigatoni recipe, you can even use up what you already have on hand! You may need to adjust the amount of pasta and sauce you use to get the same consistency and same number of servings. That’s because a smaller pasta will require using more sauce and using a larger pasta will require using more pasta to balance the quantity of sauce. Regardless which you choose, just cook the pasta as directed on the package before adding the other ingredients. Let us know what you’ve tried in the comments!

How to Cook Pasta

Cooking pasta is easy when you know the secrets. Use these tips for your pasta to turn out perfectly cooked every time.

Use at least 1 quart water (4 cups) for every 4 ounces of pasta.

Use a large pot to avoid the boiling water from bubbling over the side of the pan and making a mess on your stove top.

Bring the water to a fast and continuous boil before adding the pasta.

Do not add oil to the cooking water; it isn’t necessary, and sauces won’t cling to oil-coated pasta.

Salting the water is optional and not necessary to properly cook pasta. We do not add salt for our recipes unless indicated.

Bring the water back to a full rolling boil once the pasta is added and maintain the temperature to allow the pasta water to continue to boil as it cooks. This allows the pasta to move freely, allowing it cook evenly and prevent sticky pasta.

When cooking pasta for a casserole like this beef rigatoni recipe, where it continues to cook when baked with the other ingredients, cook it only until it is tender but firm (al dente). That way, once the casserole is baked, the pasta texture will be tender without being overly soft or mushy. Start by cooking the pasta the minimum time given on the package, adding an additional minute, if necessary, if the pasta isn’t al dente.

How to Make Baked Rigatoni

This simple rigatoni bake is so easy to put together—no previous cooking experience required! However, even if you are a cook, your family will love this hearty, comforting casserole. It’s got that all-family appeal—no wonder it’s a highly-rated recipe!

Cook the Pasta

First, get your big pot of water boiling for the pasta. (See How to Cook Pasta tips above). Cook the pasta just until it’s tender but firm (al dente).

Cook the Ground Beef

While the pasta is cooking, you can brown your ground beef to cut down on the prep time needed to get this into the oven. Don’t forget to drain the beef when it’s cooked! Add it to the drained pasta that’s back in the big pasta pot (we hate a lot of dishes, too, so this eliminates the need for a big bowl).

Mix in Pasta Sauce and Cheese

Stir in the jar of pasta sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese, for an ooey, gooey Italian flavor families go nuts for.

Spread in Dish and Top with Cheese

Spread it in a 13x9-inch glass baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese.

Cover and Bake

Cover with foil and bake until the center of the casserole is hot (see recipe for specific directions).

Sprinkle and Serve

We love the color, aroma, and flavor that fresh basil brings to this dish. After all, we eat with our eyes, first! It adds that “something extra” that just puts this dish over the top…but you can leave it off, if you don’t have any on hand.

Baked Rigatoni Variations

Our baked beef rigatoni is destined to be a favorite for your meal rotation! There are many ways you can make it your own, by swapping out or adding an ingredient or two. And might we say, an excellent way to use up ingredients you already have on hand, which helps keep your food budget happy!

Change the Pasta: Many pastas will work for this recipe—use what you have in your pantry or what’s on sale! The flavor is the same. See Pasta Preferences above, for our best choices as well as how to adjust the recipe to use alternatives.

Swap the Meat: Rather than using ground beef, why not try your favorite bulk hot Italian sausage, ground pork, chicken or turkey instead? Use what your family loves or change it up each time you make this dinner to keep it fresh!

Get Saucy: We love the flavor and goodness of Muir Glen™ pasta sauce, but feel free to substitute another 26-oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce. Try pasta sauce with roasted garlic or mushrooms and/or other veggies. Want to pump up the flavor? Try a spicy pasta sauce to add flavor without adding any additional ingredients! Keep in mind that sauce consistencies vary from brand to brand and type to type, so you may want to adjust the amount of sauce you use to have a casserole with a great consistency when baked.

Add Veggies: You can make this a one-dish casserole by stirring in some veggies with the other ingredients in Step 4. Add a cup of coarsely chopped fresh spinach or kale leaves (or a box of frozen (thawed) spinach. Or add a cup of frozen mixed vegetables (they can be added right from the freezer). Got leftover cooked veggies in the fridge? Add a cup of bite-size pieces of leftover cooked veggies. They’ll add color, nutrients and heartiness to this dish.

Cheesy Choices: Mozzarella has a mild flavor that lets the flavor of the sauce shine. It’s also what gives this casserole it’s ooey-gooey goodness everyone loves. Feel free to swap an equal amount of other gooey, flavorful cheeses for a flavor twist, such as shredded provolone or fontina, Monterey Jack or even Colby-Jack . Or add an extra layer of flavor by using taco, hot habanero, Mexican or pepper Jack shredded cheese.

The pungency of Parmesan cheese adds just the right salty cheese flavor and texture to make an excellent topping for this Italian-inspired casserole. You can substitute grated Parmesan & Romano or grated three cheese blend for the Parmesan to make it your own special recipe.

Sprinkle with Freshness: You can’t beat the fresh green color, flavor and aroma fresh basil leaves bring to this easy dinner. But don’t fret if you forgot to get some at the store. What other fresh herbs do you have on hand? Fresh parsley (particularly Italian parsley), cilantro or even spinach leaves can add to the appeal.