Cheesy Baked Rigatoni With Ground Beef

Cheesy baked rigatoni with ground beef is made with Italian spices and a creamy ricotta filling. It’s a great baked rigatoni dish for pasta night. Here you’ll learn how to brown the ground beef, whip together the ricotta filling, and bake it in a 9x9 casserole dish. Let’s go bake pasta in the oven!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (rigatoni)
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 onion (diced)
• 1/2 red pepper (diced)
• 2 tsp garlic (minced)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp parsley (dried)
• 1/4 tsp oregano (dried)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1 1/4 cup Pasta sauce ((or add Italian spices to a can of crushed tomatoes - see video) divided)
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat a large pot of water on the stove to medium-high and boil pasta as directed until cooked al dente. While boiling, start cooking the ground beef filling. Do not overcook the pasta since it will finish cooking in the oven. Once finished, drain pasta and toss it in olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking.
2. 2Heat a large skillet on the stove to medium-high. Add olive oil and let it heat until the oil is hot and shiny. Add the ground beef, onion, red pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano. Brown beef and vegetable mixture for about 10 minutes, breaking down beef as it cooks and stirring regularly until beef is thoroughly cooked and onions are translucent. Once done, remove from heat and strain on a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
3. 3Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and set out a 9x13 baking dish. Mix together the filling for the stuffing. In a large bowl, gently combine the cooked beef mixture, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of pasta sauce. Fill the baking dish with pasta (about 3/4 of the way full). Add filling ingredients and toss to combine. Top with 1/4 cup pasta sauce and a layer of mozzarella cheese.
4. 4Bake pasta for about 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Cover with tin foil if waiting to serve longer to keep it warm.