Rigatoni Al Forno is a classic Italian baked pasta dish made with a meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and gooey mozzarella cheese. This is an easy pasta bake the whole family will love, plus there's room to add vegetables and spices to your liking.
Pasta in the style of "al forno" simply refers to baked pasta. There are versions of pasta al forno that use a creamy béchamel sauce; some have vegetables like eggplant, artichokes and radicchio; while others use ham, salami, ground pork and various cheeses. For our version, we're going fairly simple with accessible ingredients and flavors perfect for even the pickiest eater.
This hearty pasta recipe is one of my favorite comfort food. It works very well for a meal train (for that friend who just had a baby or a family member recovering from surgery) as it can be made ahead, wrapped in foil, stored in the fridge or freezer, and cooked when ready to enjoy. But it's also great for a weeknight meals. I add it to my family's baked pasta rotation, along with Easy Vegetable Lasagna and Baked Ricotta Pesto Pasta.
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Ingredients that Matter
Rigatoni Al Forno requires only a handful of pantry ingredients, but we add a few extras to build on the classic Italian flavors:
- Rigatoni. As the name of the recipe implies, you'll want to use dried rigatoni pasta. Why rigatoni? Sauce will creep into the tube shape of the pasta, plus the little grooves on the exterior of the pasta will hold onto the meat sauce and ricotta well. If you can't find rigatoni, pick a similar tube-shaped pasta like penne or cannelloni.
- Ground Beef. A pound of ground beef provides a good amount of meaty flavor to our tomato sauce without it overwhelming the entire sauce. We recommend reaching for a leaner ground beef, like 85/15 or even 90/10 to cut back on the amount of fat in the sauce (we also recommend skimming excess fat after searing off the beef to keep the sauce from tasting greasy). You can swap in ground turkey, if you'd like.
- Crushed Tomatoes. We use a couple cans of crushed tomatoes to build the meat sauce. You can, of course, simply use jarred prepared tomato sauce, but if you are concerned about sugar levels, be sure to read labels and pick one with no or limited added sugars.
- Ricotta. We use a 15-ounce container of ricotta cheese to add creaminess to the pasta bake. You can use either full-fat or skim ricotta. The ricotta filing is dolloped throughout the dish so you'll find little pockets of creaminess as you eat. It's a pleasant surprise.
- Mozzarella Cheese. We sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese on top of the pasta before baking to give the quintessential cheesy crust to our dish. As with the ricotta, pick either full-fat or part-skim based on your dietary needs. I also recommend grating your own from a block of cheese as pre-shredded is coated in anticaking agents, which may impact the texture.
- Parmesan. Grated parmesan cheese is added to the ricotta for some salty, cheesy flavor.
- Aromatics. The tomato sauce starts with a chopped yellow onion and minced garlic to give our sauce aromatic backbone.
- Italian Seasoning. Dried Italian Seasoning is the perfect blend for this tomato sauce, giving a good balance in herb flavor.
- Fresh Thyme. We stir some fresh thyme into the ricotta to add bright herb flavor to our creamy cheese filling.
- Lemon Zest. There's also fresh lemon zest to help lighten the creamy ricotta.
- Egg. One large egg is stirred into the ricotta mixture to bind the mixture together, meaning it won't spread out as it bakes.
How to This Make Rigatoni Al Forno Recipe
Most of this recipe is hands-off, but you'll start by first making a simple tomato meat sauce.
Start by heating olive oil (or extra virgin olive oil) in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add beef and cook, breaking up large chunks with the back of a spoon, until well browned. Spoon off any extra grease from the bottom of the pan and discard.
Add Italian Seasoning and two cans of crushed tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the hearty meat sauce is reduced and thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes.
Boil the pasta in water with a big pinch of salt according to package instructions, until al dente. Drain. Assemble the dish by placing half of the cooked pasta in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray). Add half of the tomato sauce and stir until incorporated.
Dollop the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta and sauce.
Add reaming cooked pasta and sauce and gently stir until the pasta is well coated. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Bake in a 350°F oven until bubbly and the cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.
Delicious Additions to Baked Rigatoni
This pasta bake is a crowd-pleaser! The pasta is coated well in a meaty tomato sauce and there are pockets of creamy and bright ricotta throughout. Plus, there's a layer of melty cheese on top! What else could you want?
Well, if you do want more, try adding in some fresh vegetables, like sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers or spinach. Add plenty of fresh herbs, like basil, oregano and parsley. Or try using ground turkey, Italian sausage (sweet or spicy), jarred roasted red peppers, or even dollops of my Ricotta Pesto Sauce.
Substitutions & Additions
If you do want more in this baked pasta dish, we have you covered. Try adding:
- To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the ground beef for a meat alternative, or simply load up on sautéed vegetables instead.
- Want a bit more kick? Try adding a big pinch of red pepper flakes directly to the tomato sauce.
- You can swap out the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese, if desired.
- Make this recipe even faster with a store-bought jarred tomato sauce.
- Swap in any tube-shape pasta, like penne, ziti, or even elbow macaroni.
Storage
This recipe is also ideal for meal prep! Simply cool leftovers and split into single portions to enjoy for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, bake in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes if reheating single portions, or 15-20 minutes for the entire casserole dish.
You can also freeze leftovers in an airtight container or freezer safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
Or, assemble the pasta bake in a disposable aluminum pan but do not bake yet. Instead, wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator 1 day ahead of baking.
Pasta Recipes
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Recipe
Rigatoni Al Forno
- Total Time: 55 min.
- Yield: 9 by 13-inch baking dish 1x
Description
Rigatoni Al Forno is a classic Italian baked pasta dish made with a meat sauce, creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheese. This is an easy pasta bake the whole family will love, plus there's room to add vegetables and spices to your liking.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ tsp. table salt
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 (26 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb. rigatoni pasta
- 1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add beef and cook, breaking up large chunks with a spoon, until well browned, about 4 minutes. Use a spoon to remove excess fat from the bottom of the pan; discard. Add Italian seasoning and tomatoes and stir. Bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced slightly, 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until just al dente according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Stir together in a medium bowl the ricotta, thyme, lemon zest, parmesan, egg and ¼ cup mozzarella cheese until well combined.
- To assemble, add half of the cooked pasta and sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish and stir until well combined. Spoon ricotta mixture on top then add remaining cooked pasta and sauce and gently stir the top until just combined. Sprinkle with remaining 1 ¾ cup mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and the cheese is melted and slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh basil and more parmesan cheese.
Notes
- If you can't find rigatoni use another tube shape pasta like penne.
- You can use a half pound each ground beef and ground pork, or sweet Italian sausage, as desired.
- If you want to make this vegetarian, swap the ground beef for a meat alternative.
- Want to add more vegetables? Try adding about 2 cups of cooked zucchini, red peppers, spinach or mushrooms.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freeze in a freezer safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 min.
- Cook Time: 45 min.
- Category: Main
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian Cuisine
Jon Travis says
Great pasta dish. Love the dollops of ricotta.