Rigatoni Bake. Rigatoni is a big, ridged, tubular type of pasta and is used in many saucy, cheesy pasta bakes like this baked rigatoni with meat sauce. The ridges in the noodle help catch the sauce, giving every bite a punch of flavor. If you don't have rigatoni on hand, you can replace it with pasta noodles like penne or ziti in a pinch.

This pasta bake is your new favorite ground beef casserole — made up of rigatoni, cooked just until al dente, a hearty tomato-based meat sauce, and loads of cheese. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. You can have Rigatoni Bake using 4 ingredients and 2 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Rigatoni Bake

You need 6 oz. of Rigatoni pasta.
Prepare 1 cup of cheddar cheese.
It's 10 oz. of Spaghetti sauce.
Prepare 5 Tbsp of Parmesan, grated.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. In a large saucepan, brown ground beef and sausage until crumbly and cooked through. Stir in marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese and cream. Add rigatoni and toss to coat.

Rigatoni Bake step by step

Cook pasta as directed on pkg. Drain and rinse throughly. Place pasta in sprayed 8X8 inch baking pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheddar over pasta. Pour sauce over top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheddar and Parmesan..
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through..

Meanwhile, heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. To serve a dozen people without any extra effort, simply double this recipe and prepare two of these hearty pasta bakes. —Elaine Neukirch, Genoa, Illinois. Macaroni and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods. My recipe gives it an Italian twist. Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions; drain and set aside to cool.