Cheesy Baked Rigatoni with Beef
A delicious baked pasta dish with rigatoni, ground beef, and a blend of cheeses.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 12 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 24-ounce jars marinara or pasta sauce
- 1 pound dried rigatoni pasta
- Chopped fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare the onion, garlic, and cheese while waiting.
- Chop the onion into small pieces and mince the garlic. Shred 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese and cube the remaining 4 ounces. Grate the Parmesan cheese as well.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Incorporate the ground beef, kosher salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper, stirring until the beef is browned, approximately 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente, usually around 10 to 12 minutes.
- After cooking, drain the pasta in a colander.
- Combine the drained pasta with the beef mixture in the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Pour in the marinara sauce and mix everything together. Then, add 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella and the cubed mozzarella, folding them in gently.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish, or split it between two (8-inch) baking dishes. If freezing, use a metal or disposable dish. Top with the grated Parmesan and the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the edges are bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
- Let the dish cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving, and garnish with fresh basil if desired.
Notes
You can prepare the unbaked dish up to 2 days in advance; just cover it with aluminum foil and refrigerate. Before baking, let it sit at room temperature while the oven heats, and add an extra 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Leftover casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You may replace ground beef with ground turkey or Italian sausage if preferred.
For freezing, assemble in a metal or disposable foil dish, cool completely, wrap tightly in aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, covered in foil, at 350°F until heated through (about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours), or bake thawed casserole for about 1 hour. Uncover for the last 15 minutes to brown the cheese.