This Easy Baked Rigatoni with Ground Beef is a no-fuss, cheesy masterpiece your whole family will love! With ground beef and three different types of cheese, it’s the perfect quick fix for a busy weeknight dinner.
Who doesn’t love a cheesy and hearty pasta bake?
This Easy Baked Rigatoni with Ground Beef is one of my go-to recipes when we’ve had a busy day on the ranch. It’s filling, easy to toss together, and always a crowd-pleaser.
It’s a real winner around our house—kid-tested and cowboy-approved!
Ingredients
- Ground beef - I used 80/20, feel free to use a leaner ground beef. Ground Italian sausage is also delicious in this recipe!
- Rigatoni - Penne, rotini, and shells are all great substitutes.
- Ricotta - This adds pockets of cheesy creaminess that are delicious. Cottage cheese or diced mozzarella would work well too.
- Marinara - I love Rao’s brand of marinara but any 28 oz jar will work.
- Shredded Mozzarella - This gives you those long cheese pulls and crusty goodness on top of the pasta bake. Fresh moz would also be delicious!
- Heavy Cream - Makes the sauce rich and creamy, you could substitute milk or half and half in a pinch.
- Parmesan - I love freshly grated parm but any will work. Pecorino is also delicious!
(see recipe card for full ingredient list and measurements)
How to Make Easy Baked Rigatoni with Ground Beef
Step 1.Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into chunks. Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1–2 more minutes.
Step 2. Turn the heat to low and add marinara and heavy cream. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 3. Add al dente rigatoni to the sauce and carefully mix.
Step 4. Add dollops of ricotta and gently fold in.
Step 5. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and parmesan on the top.
Step 6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or broil until cheese has melted and began to brown. Enjoy!
Recipe Cost
- Total: $18.35
- Serves: 8 hungry folks
- That’s just $2.29 a serving!
Can I Freeze Baked Rigatoni with Ground Beef?
Absolutely! This recipe freezes well and is perfect for busy nights, surprise guests, or gifting to a new mom. Just bake it in a freezer-safe dish, let it cool completely, then cover and freeze.
To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, loosely covered with foil. It can dry out some, so serve with some marinara on the side!
If you enjoyed this cozy pasta recipe, try out my homemade hamburger helper recipe too!
Baked Rigatoni with Beef
Equipment
- 1 oven safe skillet or casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 28oz jar marinara
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 lb rigatoni sub penne, rotini, or shells
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup mozzarella shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente, the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.
- While pasta is cooking, brown the beef on medium high heat in a large skillet. Break up the meat into large chunks with your spatula and season with salt and pepper.
- When beef is almost cooked through, add minced garlic and stir. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Turn heat to low and add the marinara and heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and carefully stir.
- Dollop large tablespoons of ricotta on top of the pasta and gently fold in. You want to keep large pockets of ricotta, so don’t over mix.
- Top with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown.
Notes
- Place dish under the broiler to brown cheese further if you want. Keep a close eye on it, the cheese can burn fast.
- When reheating from frozen, drizzle a few tablespoons of water over the dish before baking to give it more moisture. Or top with more marinara.
- To make this dish even meatier, add a half a pound of ground Italian sausage when cooking the beef.
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