This gooey, cheese-filled pasta bake is one of our favourite recipes to whip up for a quick but delicious meal. The tubes of rigatoni are the perfect vessels for catching every last morsel of sauce and the delicious cheese topping is an indulgent treat. Try our surprisingly easy recipe today.
Make our rigatoni pasta bake
Serves 6-8
Prep time: 1 hour
Calories per serving: 603kcal
Ingredients
- 500g rigatoni
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 450g minced beef
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2tbsp tomato purée
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250g mozzarella cheese, finely chopped
- 50g parmesan cheese, grated
Method
- In a large saucepan, fry the onions in about 2tbsp olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the crushed garlic and stir together to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add another tbsp olive oil to the pan and add in the beef mince. Cook over a medium heat until the meat has browned.
- Add a little salt and pepper along with the tins of tomatoes and the tomato purée. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add your rigatoni, and cook until al dente.
- Drain your pasta and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Toss to fully coat your rigatoni before transferring the contents of the pan into a lightly greased baking dish.
- Cover with tinfoil and bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for about 20 minutes.
- Uncover and sprinkle over the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake for a final 10 minutes, until the cheese has turned golden brown and is beginning to crisp up. Plate and serve. Buon appetito!
Baked rigatoni wine pairing recommendation
With a rich tomato and beef mince base, this pasta al forno dish is crying out for a full-bodied Italian red wine. Although not as well known as Barolo or Barbaresco, a glass of Nebbiolo would be an excellent choice. With a rounded red fruit aroma and plenty of tannins, this northern Italian favourite has the ideal characteristics to balance out the fat from the beef. Continuing the northern Italian theme, Barbera d'Alba has milder tannins but just the right amount of acidity to complement the tomato sugo that blankets this dish.
