Baked Rigatoni with Beef

Recipe Ingredients

It’s hard to believe, but the best baked rigatoni recipe doesn’t take a million ingredients. You only need a handful for this delicious pasta dish.

Rigatoni: We love using rigatoni in this recipe, because these large tubes of pasta hold on to the sauce, beef, and cheese so well. However, you can use any kind of larger shell pasta you have on hand.

Ground Beef: 80% lean ground beef is the best for this recipe. We’ve found through testing that it gives the dish the right amount of flavor and tenderness.

Red Sauce: One jar of tomato basil pasta sauce helps hold the dish together, giving it moisture and a bright tomatoey flavor.

Cheeses: Mozzarella and Parmesan combine to make this dish ultra cheesy and ultra comforting.

Fresh Basil: Chopped basil leaves add a taste of freshness to this easy baked rigatoni.

Cookware You’ll Need

Just a few basic pieces of cookware are all you’ll need to make the best baked rigatoni.

13x9 Baking Dish: A 13x9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish is best for this recipe, because it will evenly cook the dish and retain heat longer.

Large Pot: You’ll need a large pot to cook the pasta and mix all the ingredients together before baking.

Skillet: You can use a stainless-steel skillet, ceramic-coated skillet, or a nonstick skillet for cooking the ground beef.

Other Cookware You’ll Need: You’ll also need a few measuring cups and a heatproof spatula to pull this dish together.

How to Make Baked Rigatoni

Pull our baked rigatoni recipe together in a few easy steps!

1. Cook the Pasta and Ground Beef

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until it’s al dente (tender, but still firm) and drain. While the pasta is cooking, brown the beef in a skillet until it’s no longer pink, and drain any excess fat.

2. Mix in Pasta Sauce and Cheese

In the pot you used to cook the pasta, combine the drained pasta with the beef, pasta sauce, and some of the mozzarella cheese. Then, pour into baking dish. Sprinkle more mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top.

3. Cover and Bake

Cover the baking dish with foil before popping it into the oven. Covering the dish helps to keep the pasta from drying out during baking.

4. Sprinkle Basil and Serve

Sprinkling the fresh basil over the top of the baked rigatoni not only makes the dish look pretty, but it also makes it smell as good as it tastes!

Possible Variations

Almost any of the ingredients in this easy baked rigatoni can be substituted for something you like or happen to have on hand.

Swap the Meat: We’ve heard from you that ground turkey or chicken make a great swap out for the beef in this recipe. Italian sausage can also be used.

Switch the Sauce: There are a million pasta sauce choices out there, and almost any of them would work in this dish. Some of our favorites are marinara or tomato vodka sauce.

Change the Cheese: Try other cheeses like Asiago or Pecorino for the Parmesan or Fontina in place of the Mozzarella.

Serving Baked Rigatoni

Our baked rigatoni with beef is so yummy that you’ll want a little bread to make sure you can swipe up every last bit of it, which is why we recommend serving it with this recipe for focaccia.

If you’d like to serve a veggie alongside the pasta, try our cheesy baked asparagus.

Storing and Reheating

Our baked rigatoni recipe makes a generous amount. Here’s how to store any leftovers.

Fridge

Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Freezer

You can freeze individual portions wrapped in plastic wrap. Once the pieces are frozen solid, move them into a large freezer bag, so they take up less space and don’t get freezer burn.

Reheating

• From the Fridge: Place a serving onto a microwavable plate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, mindful the plastic doesn’t touch the food. Microwave on medium-high (70%) for 2 to 3 minutes or until center is at least 165°F.

• From the Freezer: Thaw completely in the refrigerator. Then, microwave to reheat as directed above.

Why Pillsbury Users Love This Recipe

So many of our users have weighed in on what they love about our baked rigatoni. They can’t believe how quick and easy it is to make a dish this delicious (and oh so cheesy!). They say almost any of the ingredients could be substituted with ingredients they like or already have in their pantry.

Commenters also tell us how much their families and friends enjoy this baked rigatoni with meat sauce, making it a go-to recipe for any night of the week. One reviewer said, “Wow!!  Excellent recipe!  I made this for 2 people and had leftovers.  The leftovers tasted just as good as the first time." 

There’s so much to love about our baked rigatoni recipe; we know you’ll want to try some of our other pasta recipes, too.