Baked rigatoni with three cheeses is pure comfort food that fills the belly and the soul. This is my version and it's made without meat.
Homemade tomato sauce mixed with ridged rigatoni pasta, layered with a combination of cheeses is a meal perfect for dinner, cookouts, and family events. Mangia!
Baked rigatoni is made with my Quick Tomato Sauce and three different cheeses, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan or Romano - depending on what I have that day.
It's quite easy to prepare. Really. It's a great meal for crowds or you can halve it and serve it for a delicious dinner with some garlic bread.
The ridges of the rigatoni give the sauce something to cling to and rigatoni is wider than ziti which allows the inside of the tube to hold more sauce. You can use ziti, of course, and I'm sure baked ziti will sound familiar to you.
As for the cheese, whole milk ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and either grated Romano or Parmesan cheese is what's needed to complete this dish. Note that Romano is a little saltier than Parmesan, therefore, add salt to your taste.
WHY NOT USE A FULL POUND OF RIGATONI?
I use my Quick Tomato Sauce which is simple to make. I lessen the amount of pasta from 16 ounces to 10 ounces. The reason for this? Because this is a baked dish, the pasta absorbs the sauce as it bakes. If using a full pound, you will find yourself with a dry rubbery baked rigatoni. You don't want that.
You can even get away with 8 ounces. I've made it that way because that's all I had and it was a saucy delicious baked rigatoni. The sauce in this dish, mixed with the cheeses, is delicious all by itself. Scoop up with some crusty bread and it's heaven.
People have their own techniques on how to put this dish together. Here's mine…
First, I make the sauce and let that simmer for 10 minutes or so. Did I mention it was a quick sauce?
While the sauce is simmering, mix the ricotta with an egg and about ½ cup of grated cheese - either Romano or Parmesan - along with a splash of milk to give it some creaminess. Add salt and pepper, but be careful of salt if using Romano cheese because it's saltier than Parmesan.
Cook the pasta for half the time listed on package. Check out my How to Cook Pasta post on properly salting the water. I use De Cecco brand - one of my favorites - which recommends 14 minutes for al dente. Since this will be baked and will continue to cook more in the oven, I only boil it for 7 minutes. Overcooked pasta is a no-no.
NEVER ADD OIL TO THE PASTA WATER - EVER
I don't care what any TV personality says, you NEVER add oil to the pasta water. The oil clings to the pasta and since the pasta is oily, the sauce won't stick to it. I mean it's common sense. I know you all have common sense.
NEVER ADD OIL TO THE PASTA WATER - EVER - It's worth repeating.
After draining the pasta, place it back in the pan and mix it with a ladle or two of sauce to keep it from sticking. We just want a light coating on the pasta.
ASSEMBLING THE DISH - LAYER AND REPEAT
To assemble, use a deep (3") 9x13 baking dish. If you're bringing this to a party or gathering, I recommend using a 9x13 foil pan that is 3"deep as this gets filled to the top. I've lost so many casserole and baking dishes that were left and never returned that I've turned to foil pans. They can keep those!
Spread a ladle or two of sauce onto the bottom of baking dish. Fyi, my ladle holds ½ cup.
*Add ½ of the rigatoni and spread it out
Add a few ladles of sauce to cover
Scatter dollops of ½ of the ricotta mixture
Layer with a ½ of the mozzarella
Top with ½ of the grated cheese
Repeat*
Cover the top with a piece of wax paper. This will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil. Then cover the top with foil and seal. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then 15 minutes uncovered.
This baked rigatoni with three cheeses is always a big hit. When guests go for seconds and thirds, it warms my heart.
I can hear my aunt Julia and uncle Tony yell “Mangia! Mangia!” with a big smile on their faces and hand movements as if conducting a concert. Great family memories. I hope you create your own by making this dish and sharing it with your family.
Mangia! Buon appetito!
Life is too short for mediocre food.
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BAKED RIGATONI WITH THREE CHEESES
PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE SAVE RECIPEIngredients
- 10 ounces (340 g) rigatoni I use DeCecco brand See NOTES
SAUCE:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion diced - I use Vidalias
- 3 - 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 (28 ounce) (793 g) can of ground peeled tomatoes (I use Pastene)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- a handful of fresh basil leaves torn in pieces
RICOTTA MIXTURE:
- 8 ounces (227 g) whole milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan or Romano Romano is saltier
- Kosher salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ pound (227 g) shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup (50 g) of additional grated Romano or Parmesan cheese for layering and topping
Instructions
MAKE SAUCE:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two being careful not to brown. Stir in the salt, garlic powder, sugar, and pepper. Slowly add in the tomatoes. Cook for about ten minutes stirring occasionally. Tear up the basil leaves and add to sauce.
- Stir and simmer for another ten minutes. Taste and adjust for more salt to your taste.
- Preheat oven 350℉.
BOIL THE PASTA:
- Meanwhile, boil pasta for half the time it states on the box. Do not add oil to the water. Drain, then return to pot and toss with about 1 cup of sauce.
MAKE THE RICOTTA MIXTURE:
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta, milk, egg, and grated cheese. Season with a sprinkle of kosher salt and some pepper to taste. Note if using Romano, it is saltier than Parmesan.
TO ASSEMBLE:
- Ladle some of the sauce into a deep 9x13 baking dish to coat the bottom.
- Add ½ of rigatoni into the baking dish.
- Ladle ½ the sauce over the pasta.
- Scatter the top with dollops of ½ ricotta over the top.
- Sprinkle with ½ of the mozzarella then sprinkle with a ½ of grated cheese.
- Repeat ending with mozzarella and grated cheese over the top.
COVER AND BAKE:
- Place a piece of wax or parchment on top then cover and seal with foil. The wax/parchment will prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil. To be safe, you may want to place the pan on a foiled lined baking sheet to catch any drippings. It depends on the depth of your baking dish or casserole pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Carefully remove foil and wax paper and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until it's bubbly.
Notes
Nutritional Information
I don't post the nutritional value because I don't trust the accuracy of the nutritional apps. I’m not a nutritionist and don't want to post misinformation.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!