Baked Rigatoni
Baked Rigatoni is a satisfying, quick Italian baked pasta dish made with tubular pasta, fresh Mozzarella, Parmesan and pasta sauce! Quick, easy and satisfying!
A pound of Rigatoni fills a 9 x 13 pan, which makes this a perfect choice for large groups and…it’s very cost efficient!
If you’re on a tight budget, or simply don’t have the energy to pull off a four course meal, this baked Italian casserole does the trick!
Baked Rigatoni is a delicious and easy meal to prepare for those nights when you don’t really feel like cooking!
You’ll love this recipe!
- Quick and easy – just boil the pasta, assemble and bake
- Creamy, cheesy and filling – serve with a crisp green salad and bread and call-it-dinner!
- Use homemade or jarred pasta sauce
What’s rigatoni?
Rigatoni is a short, tubular pasta with ridges. They’re slightly bent, but not as bent as an elbow noodle.
How to make it:
The hardest part of this baked rigatoni casserole is waiting for the water to boil! This recipe is quick and easy – pasta takes 12-minutes to boil…feel free to use homemade or jarred pasta sauce!
- Heat the pasta sauce
- Boil the pasta; drain
- Combine pasta and sauce in lightly oiled baking dish
- Add seasonings and cheese
- Bake uncovered @350ºF until cheese melts (about 10-15 minutes)
Can I use a different pasta than Rigatoni?
Yes! Any tubular pasta works well with this Italian casserole! Consider using Penne, Ziti or Bucatini as a substitute.
The point is, tubular pasta holds the sauce better than long strand pasta, so you get pasta, sauce and cheese in every bite!
You can use noodle, or strand pasta, but flat pasta doesn’t hold the sauce and cheese as well as tubular pastas.
Tips:
For the best flavor, use fresh Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Fresh Mozzarella usually comes in a ball or container and the packaging contains water. The water preserves the freshness of the cheese.
Fresh Parmesan is usually found in the gourmet section of the grocery store and is in a wedge form.
Make it ahead of time:
There are two ways you can make this recipe in advance:
1) cook the pasta and assemble the dish with cold sauce and cheese; cover and refrigerate (up to 3 days) or
2) prepare, bake and assemble the entire dish, then refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Note: if you freeze this dish, you may need to add a little water prior to re-heating because the tomato sauce will thicken when frozen.
Reheating:
Reheat baked rigatoni in the microwave or in the oven. Microwave for a few minutes or, cover with foil and reheat in a 300ºF oven until it is warm throughout.
What to serve with baked rigatoni:
A fresh green salad is always nice; or you might want to serve a steamed artichoke. Another option might include a side of ratatouille or eggplant fritters.
Related recipes:
If you make this recipe, scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you!
Baked Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Rigotini pasta
- water to cover pasta
- 3 cups pasta sauce * see recipe notes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings dried
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper optional
- 6 oz. Mozzarella cheese , fresh
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese , grated
- spray oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF
- Prep large 9 x 13 baking dish: lightly spray with oil; set asidespray oil
- Make sauce and keep on warm (see recipe notes)3 cups pasta sauce, 1 tablespoon Italian seasonings, 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- Bring large stock pot of water to rolling boil; add rigatoni pasta; cook for 12 minutes; drain1 lb. Rigotini pasta, water to cover pasta
- While pasta is cooking, cut Mozzarella cheese into 24 cubes; shred the remainder and set aside; Shred Parmesan and set aside6 oz. Mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Pour drained pasta into baking dish; tuck in cubes of Mozzarella cheese; pour sauce over pasta and combine well; sprinkle remaining shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan over sauce6 oz. Mozzarella cheese, 3 cups pasta sauce
- Bake at 350ºF uncovered and until cheese is melted (about 15 minutes)
Notes
- This recipe can be made with either homemade San Marzano sauce or jarred, pre-made sauce.
Love this quick easy recipe. Made it for lunch and had it for leftovers! I don’t need all the meat and stuff in my pasta recipes! This is a win, win for me!
Thank you! Leftover Baked Rigatoni is THE best:)!