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Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce Recipe

Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce Recipe


  • Author: Jack
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Indulge in a comforting meal with this delicious Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce recipe. Tender rigatoni pasta is baked with a savory meat sauce, creamy béchamel, and a cheesy topping for the ultimate Italian-inspired dish.


Ingredients

Scale

Rigatoni:

  • 16 ounces rigatoni

Meat Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup onion (diced)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 pound 85% to 90% lean ground beef
  • 28 ounces crushed Italian style tomatoes
  • 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
  • freshly ground pepper (to taste)
  • ⅓ cup red wine
  • ½ cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Béchamel Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup 2% milk (slightly warmed)
  • dash ground nutmeg

Cheese Topping:

  • 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (or more, as desired)
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cook the pasta in a large pasta pot, 2 minutes shy of the package directions.

  3. Prepare the Meat Sauce
  4. Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a Dutch oven and place over MEDIUM heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add the ground beef. Cook, stirring to break up the beef, until cooked through. Drain off the grease. Return the pot to the heat and add remaining sauce ingredients. Allow the sauce to simmer over LOW heat while preparing the béchamel.

  5. Prepare the Béchamel Sauce
  6. In a small saucepan melt the butter over MEDIUM-LOW heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and nutmeg. Turn heat up to MEDIUM and cook, whisking constantly, until smooth, thick and creamy. Remove from the heat.

  7. Assemble the Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
  8. Pour the meat sauce over the well drained pasta in the warm pasta pot and mix thoroughly. Spray a large casserole dish or lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray and layer ½ of the pasta/sauce mixture, drizzle with half the béchamel and sprinkle with half the cheeses. Repeat the layers.

  9. Bake
  10. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 35 minutes. At the end of the baking time, remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes until light golden brown and bubbly.

Notes

  • You can customize the cheese blend by adding different types of cheeses like provolone or cheddar.
  • Feel free to add in some cooked vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers to the meat sauce for extra flavor and nutrition.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 430
  • Sugar: 6g
  • Sodium: 780mg
  • Fat: 18g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 39g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 26g
  • Cholesterol: 65mg

Keywords: Baked Rigatoni, Meat Sauce, Pasta Bake, Italian Recipe