Italian Rigatoni Bake
A hearty Italian rigatoni bake made with sausage, ground beef, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning.
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Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 8- oz can tomato sauce
- 1 28- oz can petite diced tomatoes with juice
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/4 c Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3 tsp Italian seasoning divided
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Dried basil to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Additional oil or cooking spray for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
Prepare the skillet.
- Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and allow it to warm.
Cook the onion.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown.
Cook the meat.
- Add the ground Italian sausage and ground beef to the skillet. Cook thoroughly, breaking the meat apart as it browns, until no pink remains.
Remove the meat.
- Remove the cooked meat mixture from the skillet and set it aside.
Prepare the sauce.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet. Stir in the petite diced tomatoes with their juice and the tomato sauce.
Season the sauce.
- Add salt, pepper, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and dried basil to taste. Stir until well combined.
Reserve sauce.
- Remove 1 c of the sauce mixture and set it aside to cool slightly.
Simmer the remaining sauce.
- Cover the remaining sauce in the skillet and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook the pasta.
- While the sauce simmers, cook the rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
Prepare the cheese mixture.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and part of the mozzarella cheese. Mix until evenly combined.
Combine pasta and cheese.
- Add the drained al dente rigatoni to the cheese mixture. Stir until the pasta is evenly coated.
Add sauce to pasta.
- Add the remaining simmered sauce to the pasta mixture. Stir until fully combined.
Prepare the baking dish.
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with oil or cooking spray.
Layer the first portion.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish.
Add the meat layer.
- Spoon half of the cooked meat mixture over the pasta layer.
Add the cheese layer.
- Sprinkle part of the remaining mozzarella cheese over the meat layer.
Repeat the layers.
- Add the remaining pasta mixture, followed by the remaining meat mixture. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the casserole is hot, bubbling, and the cheese is melted.
Rest before serving.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the rigatoni bake to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve.
- Serve warm.
Notes
To make this Italian Rigatoni Bake gluten free, replace the regular rigatoni with certified gluten-free rigatoni or another sturdy gluten-free pasta shape. Cook the gluten-free pasta just until al dente, as it can soften more quickly during baking. Confirm that the Italian sausage, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cheeses, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and dried basil are certified gluten free or processed without gluten cross-contamination. Use a gluten-free cooking spray or plain oil for greasing the baking dish.