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    Home » Pasta » Pasta al Forno

    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce

    Published: Feb 21, 2022 · Modified: Dec 17, 2023 by Angela and Mark · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    When you think baked pasta dishes, or pasta al forno, usually lasagne comes to mind as the king! Or maybe mac and cheese if you are so inclined and living that all-American lifestyle. But another one that we love is a baked ziti or rigatoni! And this Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce will quickly climb your list of favorite pasta al forno dishes!

    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce
    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce

    The Tomato Herb Meat Sauce

    This is one of our newer tomato-based sauces that includes roasted bell pepper, Italian sausage, and ground beef, and various herbs among other things. Sauces with roasted pepper are a bit sweeter than tomato sauces without them and have a distinctive, yet subtle, flavor setting them apart. This flavorful sauce is perfect for using in a baked pasta dish or as a standalone pasta sauce for your favorite noodle.

    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce

    Layering 3 Cheeses

    The cheese really adds that wonderful flavor throughout, and we think these three cheeses are the best choices. While lasagne will often have a béchamel sauce and/or ricotta cheese, this dish does not. Or at least our version doesn’t!

    Using the combination of provolone, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses layered throughout the sauce and rigatoni results in delicious cheesy bites every time. Also, the cheeses used here allow the pasta and sauce to be more prevalent in the flavor profile than lasagne.

    Enjoy!

    We hope you enjoy this recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce. If you give it a try, leave us a comment below, or tag us on Instagram @cooking_with_wine!

    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce
    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce

    Looking for more recipes like this? Check these out:

    • Roasted Zucchini and Tomato Pasta
    • Cherry Tomato Garlic Basil Risotto
    • Fettuccine with Winter Spiced Cream Sauce and Rosemary Sage Meatballs
    • Pork and Shiitake Mushroom Ragù

    Looking for more Italian recipe inspo?

    If you want even more Italian-inspired recipes, check out our cookbook, Mangiamo, filled with 60 original recipes!

    Mangiamo the cookbook
    Mangiamo, the cookbook

    📖 Recipe

    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce Recipe

    Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce Recipe

    This Baked Rigatoni with Tomato Herb Meat Sauce will quickly climb your list of favorite pasta al forno dishes!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 806 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    For the Sauce

    • 1 large red bell pepper
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 12 oz Italian sausage
    • 1 small onion small dice (about 230g or 2 cups)
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 56 oz tomato puree (2 cans)
    • ¾ cup dry red wine (pinot noir or similar)
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
    • 1 tablespoon dried basil
    • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
    • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
    • 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
    • 2 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 2 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
    • 2 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped

    Other Ingredients

    • 1 lb rigatoni or other dried, tubed pasta of similar size (like penne or ziti)
    • 1 cup provolone cheese grated
    • 8 oz fresh mozzarella torn
    • ½ cup Parmesan grated
    • Fresh basil
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    Make the Sauce** (Can be made in advance)

    • The first thing to do is to roast the bell pepper. Cut your bell pepper into strips about 1 inch wide, removing the seeds as you go. Make sure the pepper is dry and put the slices on a small, foiled baking sheet, skin side up. Broil until the skin is very blistered and blackened. Remove to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and wait about 10 minutes before removing the skin. Dice the prepared pepper and set aside.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, then add the beef and sausage and brown over medium-high heat. Remove the meat to a larger pot that you will cook the sauce in. Turn the skillet to medium heat and add the onion, cooking until translucent. Add the tomato paste for about 30 seconds, then transfer the entire contents to the pot with the meat.
    • Next, add the roasted bell pepper, tomato puree, wine, sugar, all dried herbs, salt, and red pepper flakes to the pot and bring just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often.
    • Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and oregano and cook for 20 more minutes, covered.

    Prepare the Pasta

    • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a few tablespoons of kosher salt and stir – the water should taste like the ocean. Add your pasta to the water and cook 60-70% of the recommended al-dente cooking time on the packaging. For ours, it's about 7 minutes.
    • While your pasta partially cooks, add about a cup of sauce to a large mixing bowl. Remove the pasta from the water and drain, then add it to the mixing bowl with the sauce to coat. This will ensure the pasta doesn’t stick together.

    Bake the Dish

    • Preheat the oven to 375°F
    • Put a layer of meat sauce in a casserole dish (about 9x12) or large, high-walled oven-safe pan. Add half of your sauce coated pasta to the dish. Add a layer of sauce followed by half of the provolone, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Add the rest of the pasta and another layer of sauce on top of the pasta and cover with the remaining provolone, mozzarella, and all the Parmesan.
    • Bake, uncovered for about 50 minutes, or until bubbling nearer to the center and the cheese on top has melted and started to brown slightly.
    • Serve with additional grated Parmesan, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes, if desired.

    Notes

    The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a few days prior to making your Baked Rigatoni. Additionally, you can make the sauce and freeze it, then defrost completely and heat gently in saucepan when ready to use.
    If you have extra sauce, use it when reheating leftovers as baked pasta dishes tend to get drier as leftovers (but are just as good).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 806kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 40gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 2622mgPotassium: 1506mgFiber: 8gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 2345IUVitamin C: 51mgCalcium: 475mgIron: 9mg
    Keyword baked pasta, italian dinners, meat sauce, pasta al forno, rigatoni, tomato sauce
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    More Pasta al Forno

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      Three Cheese Stuffed Shells with Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce
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      Four Cheese and Vegetable Baked Ziti (No Meat)
    • Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
      Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
    • Gorgonzola Apple Walnut Mac and Cheese
      Gorgonzola Apple Walnut Mac and Cheese

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    Classically trained chef, Mark, and wife and food photographer, Angela, are the cooking duo behind Cooking with Wine! Our goal is to create delicious and approachable recipes that you can make at home. We strive to make every meal special!

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