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
Units
Scale
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 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
- 1/4 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 1/4 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 3/4 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