Easy Creamy Baked Rigatoni Pasta
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Looking for the perfect comfort food that’s easy to make and satisfies the whole family? This Baked Rigatoni Pasta recipe is the answer. With flavorful meat sauce, gooey cheese, and tender noodles, it’s a hearty pasta bake that’s sure to become a favorite.
This easy cassrole is a short cut recipe made with a jar sauce that is enhanced with ground pork or beef.
This is one of our easy pasta casseroles you will want to bookmark for later.
Ingredients for rigatoni pasta bake
- Dry rigatoni
- Ground pork
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Marinara sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
- Chopped fresh basil, optional
Equipment and kitchen tools
- Large stock pot
How to make this easy baked rigatoni recipe
Step by Step Instructions Overview. Full details in recipe card.
Step 1 – Preheat oven and prepare size baking dish with non-stick spray. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil.and add the ground pork (or beef )and brown until no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease. Boil water in a stock pot and add noodles.
Step 1 – Add the jar of marinara, salt, and pepper to the cooked ground pork or beef. Drain noodles once fully cooked to al dente.
Step 3 – Add drained noodles to the pork as well. Stir the mixture to coat.
Step 4 – Transfer the noodle and meat mixture to your prepared casserole dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. Bake as directed. Allow it to cool slightly before serving
Tips for best results
- For a golden brown, cheesy top, bake until the cheese is slightly browned.
- Add a little heat with red pepper flakes if you like a spicy kick.
- Serve it with garlic bread or a side salad for a complete meal.
- Top with some parmesan cheese before serving for extra flavor.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Try ground turkey or lean ground beef instead of ground pork.
- Experiment with different types of pasta, like penne or mezzi rigatoni.
- Customize the sauce with your favorite Italian seasoning or add bell peppers for extra flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with with crusty bread, a simple arugula salad,, a light strawberry almond salad or a quick burrata Caprese.
FAQs about this Recipe
Absolutely! Prepare the dish, cover it, and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.
Yes, store leftovers in an airtight container and freeze them for a future easy meal.
Definitely! It makes this recipe even more delicious.
More great pasta recipes
Baked Rigatoni Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry rigatoni
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 t salt
- 1 t pepper
- 1 – 15 oz jar of marinara sauce
- 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 t olive oil
- Chopped fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 13×9 or similar size baking dish with non-stick spray.
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the ground pork and brown until no longer pink. Drain off the excess grease.
- In a large stock pot, boil a pot of water with 1 T salt. Cook the dry rigatoni noodles al dente (about 10 minutes). Drain off the water.
- Add the jar of marinara, salt and pepper to the cooked ground pork. When the noodles are ready and have been drained add the noodles to the pork as well.
- Stir the mixture to coat.
- Transfer the noodle and meat mixture to your prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Sprinkle with the shredded mozzarella cheese and fresh chopped basil (if using).
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
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Tasty and easy my kind of recipe