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Home » Recipes

Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta

2 Reviews / 5 Average
This Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta recipe combines mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta cheese for a hearty meat and pasta dish that the whole family will love. You can even make it ahead of time, freeze it, or enjoy leftovers the next day for dinner or lunch.
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homemade rigatoni ricotta bake in a white baking dish on a table

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It's hard not to love a tasty combination of pasta, sausage, and yummy sauce! This winning Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta dish can either feed a crowd or provide delicious leftovers on a busy night (or when you just don't feel like cooking).

Delicious Recipe for Baked Rigatoni With Ricotta

Of all the baked rigatoni recipes out there, this one stands out as an incredibly flavorful yet easy to prepare meal that you can make ahead of time. My girls even took this one in their school lunches the next day. Oh, how I love easy crowd-pleasing dinners! Just add a salad or green veggie and dinner is done.

Table of Contents
  1. Delicious Recipe for Baked Rigatoni With Ricotta
  2. How to Make Baked Rigatoni
  3. Other Favorite Baked Pasta Dishes
  4. Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta Recipe

Variations of Baked Rigatoni Recipes With Ricotta

You can definitely make this recipe your own based on your preferences, which is the great thing about this pasta dish. Instead of the ground beef, you could substitute ground turkey. Another fun idea would be using chopped mushrooms as the main "meat" ingredient.

If you're omitting the Italian sausage, I would add in some extra spices such as oregano, red pepper flakes, or Italian seasoning. And if you want extra veggies, spinach is always a good choice!

How to Make Baked Rigatoni

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Cook the whole-wheat rigatoni until al dente.
  3. Heat the olive oil and cook the onion until soft.
  4. Stir in the garlic, ground beef, and Italian sausage and cook until brown.
    Ground beef and Italian sausage cooking on a stove along side pasta cooking.
  5. Mix in the sauce, cheeses, basil, and noodles until well combined.
    Tossing pasta into a pan of ground beef, Italian sausage, marinara sauce and cheese on the stove top.
  6. Pour the ingredients into a baking dish and top with cheese.
    Cheese being layered on top of pasta bake before going into the oven.
  7. Bake uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes until golden brown, and serve warm.
    Homemade Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta being put in the oven to bake.

Ingredients

  • Whole-wheat rigatoni - Keep it real food approved with whole-wheat instead of refined pasta.
  • Olive oil - I recommend finding an organic extra-virgin olive oil.
  • Onion - Diced.
  • Cloves Garlic - Peeled and Minced.
  • Ground Beef - We recommend local, humanely raised meat or Butcher Box.
  • Bulk Italian sausage - You can also use links with casings removed.
  • Marinara sauce - Store-bought or use the Marinara Sauce recipe from my Fast & Fabulous Cookbook.
  • Whole-milk ricotta - You can see what I look for in cheese and other dairy products here.
  • Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated and divided.
  • Basil - Fresh and chopped.
  • Mozzarella - I recommend getting a block and shredding it yourself.

Common Questions for Baked Rigatoni Recipes

Can You Put Uncooked Pasta in the Oven?

In this case, no. Unless it’s specifically a “no-boil” thin lasagne noodle, I would recommend boiling your pasta at least until it’s al dente (i.e., almost done) before you add it to any casserole that you plan to bake in the oven.

Can You Substitute Rigatoni for Another Pasta?

Absolutely! Look for other round-shaped pasta like ziti, penne, mostaccioli, or fusilli for this recipe.

How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze Rigatoni Bake With Ricotta

Besides being delicious, I love that this recipe can be assembled ahead of time, which is especially helpful on those busy weekdays. If you freeze the casserole, do it before baking and thaw it in the fridge overnight before putting it in the oven. You will also need to increase the cooking time since it'll be cold out of the fridge.

You can also freeze the cooked leftovers for later, too!

How to Assemble, Refrigerate, and Then Bake

Follow the instructions up until placing it in the oven. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake, up to 24 hours. Bake uncovered, and expect about an extra 15 minutes of cooking time than if you had baked right after assembly. 

How to Assemble, Freeze, and Then Bake

Follow the instructions the same way as above to assemble the ingredients, then cover and place in the freezer. It’s best to thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking and remove the cover. Bake as directed, and expect an extra 15 minutes of cooking time.

How to Freeze Leftovers and Reheat

Store cooked leftovers in the freezer, covered, in single-serving sizes for best results. When ready to reheat, you can either thaw overnight or reheat from frozen. Place in the oven at 350 degrees F for 35 - 45 minutes.

Other Favorite Baked Pasta Dishes

  • Curly Pasta & Zucchini Bake
  • Roasted {Summer} Vegetable Pasta
  • Unstuffed Pasta Florentine
Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta on 100 Days of Real Food

Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta Recipe

This Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta recipe combines mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta cheese for a hearty meat and pasta dish that the whole family will love. You can even make it ahead of time, freeze it, or enjoy leftovers the next day for dinner or lunch.
2 Reviews / 5 Average
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Method: Freezer Friendly
Diet: Egg Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free
Print Recipe
Servings: 10
Save Recipe Saved!

Ingredients
  

  • 1 16 ounce box whole-wheat rigatoni
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion (diced)
  • 6 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage ((or links with casings removed))
  • 2 24-ounce jars marinara sauce
  • 1 16-ounce whole-milk ricotta
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, divided)
  • 1 cup fresh basil (chopped)
  • 1 8-ounce block mozzarella (shredded)

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Boil the rigatoni in a large pot of water and cook until al dente (drain 3 to 4 minutes before the end of the cooking time).
  • Heat the olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook while stirring occassionally until it begins to soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, ground beef, and sausage. Break up the large pieces with a spatula and cook until the meat is browned. Drain and discard excess fat.
  • Mix in the marinara sauce, ricotta, ½ cup of parmesan cheese, chopped basil, and al dente noodles until well combined.
  • Pour into a 9 X 13 casserole dish, top with shredded mozzarella and the remaining ½ cup of parmesan.
  • Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and begins to brown, 45 to 60 minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 335 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Fat 28g43%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Cholesterol 76mg25%
Sodium 539mg23%
Potassium 287mg8%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 215IU4%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 116mg12%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Peg says

    May 09, 2024 at 9:04 pm

    We loved this. I added the Parmesan and ricotta to the sauce, then the spinach and last the rigatoni. Poured it into the baking pan and topped it with the mozzarella. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes and got the nice crusty top without a broiler. Delicious.

    Reply
  2. Melinda says

    May 24, 2022 at 8:16 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight - everyone loved it!! Didn’t have rigatoni on hand so I subbed penne. Delicious!!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      May 27, 2022 at 11:16 am

      Works great with penne, too! Glad you enjoyed it. - Nicole

      Reply
  3. Clarissa V. says

    April 17, 2022 at 12:16 am

    5 stars
    Lisa, I made this tonight for my family, and it was awesome. My picky son ate it with no issues and my boy, who usually eats like a bird had seconds! Definitely going to make this again and again.

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      April 18, 2022 at 6:58 pm

      That's so great to hear! Glad it's picky-eater approved! - Nicole

      Reply

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