Baked Rigatoni

Baked rigatoni is a cheesy casserole with layers of meaty sauce, with ricotta cheese filling, topped with mozzarella cheese, parmesan, and rigatoni pasta.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
• 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed and discarded)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup onion (chopped)
• 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 2 (24-ounce) jars spaghetti sauce ((reserve 1 cup))
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 24 ounces ricotta
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup mozzarella (shredded)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 16 ounces rigatoni

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Butter an extra deep 9X13-inch baking dish; set aside. Do Not use a standard 13X19. You can use a 9X13-inch baking dish that has sides that are 3 inches high.
2. 2In a large Dutch oven, set over medium heat, add the beef (1 pound) and sausage (1 pound) and sprinkle with salt (1 1/2 teaspoons) and pepper (1 teaspoon). Brown the mixture, crumbling it into large pieces. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from the pot. If you don't have that amount remaining, add olive oil (2 tablespoons) to make up the difference.
3. 3Stir the onion (1 cup), and 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning then saute over medium-high heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic (1 tablespoon) and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. 4Return the beef and sausage to the Dutch oven. Add half of the marinara sauce (1 jar), and heavy cream (1/2 cup) to the onion and meat, turn the heat to low and heat through; set aside.
5. 5Meanwhile, bring another large pot of water, with 2 tablespoons of salt, to a boil. Cook rigatoni (16 ounces) al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain well, then return the pasta to the original pot off the heat. Stir in the remaining half (1 jar less 1 cup) of marinara sauce to pasta and combine; set aside.
6. 6In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta (24 ounces), eggs (2), remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon); set aside.
7. 7--- Assembly ---
8. 8Spoon about 1 cup of meat sauce at the bottom of the prepared extra-deep 13 by 9-inch Pyrex. Pour half the rigatoni in the baking dish. Spread all the ricotta mixture over the rigatoni then sprinkle half the parmesan, half the mozzarella, and half the remaining meat sauce.
9. 9Spread the remaining rigatoni, then the remaining meat sauce, mozzarella, and finally the Parmesan. Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbly.