Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta ⋆ 100 Days of Real Food

This Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta recipe combines mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta cheese for a hearty meat and pasta dish that the whole family will love. You can even make it ahead of time, freeze it, or enjoy leftovers the next day for dinner or lunch.

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Homemade Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta topped with basil in a white baking dish on a table.

It’s hard not to love a tasty combination of pasta, sausage, and yummy sauce! This winning Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta dish can either feed a crowd or provide delicious leftovers on a busy night (or when you just don’t feel like cooking).

My girls even took this one in their school lunches the next day. Oh, how I love easy crowd-pleasing dinners! Just add a salad or green veggie and dinner is done.

Variations of Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta

You can definitely make this recipe your own based on your preferences, which is the great thing about this pasta dish. Instead of ground beef, you could substitute ground turkey. Another fun idea would be using chopped mushrooms as the main “meat” ingredient.

If you’re omitting the Italian sausage, I would add in some extra spices such as oregano, red pepper flakes, or Italian seasoning. And if you want extra veggies, spinach is always a good choice!

Ingredients

Common Questions

Can You Put Uncooked Pasta in the Oven?

In this case, no. Unless it’s specifically a “no-boil” thin lasagne noodle, I would recommend boiling your pasta at least until it’s al dente (ie, almost done) before you add it to any casserole that you plan to bake in the oven.

Can You Substitute Rigatoni for Another Pasta?

Absolutely! Look for other round-shaped pasta like teas, penne, mostaccioli, or fusilli for this recipe.

How to Store, Reheat, and Freeze

Besides being delicious, I love that this recipe can be assembled ahead of time, which is especially helpful on those busy weekdays. If you freeze the casserole, do it before baking and thaw it in the fridge overnight before putting it in the oven. You will also need to increase the cooking time since it’ll be cold out of the fridge.

You can also freeze the cooked leftovers for later, too!

How to Assemble, Refrigerate, and Then Bake

Follow the instructions up until placing it in the oven. Cover it and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake, up to 24 hours. Bake uncovered, and expect about an extra 15 minutes of cooking time than if you had baked right after assembly.

How to Assemble, Freeze, and Then Bake

Follow the instructions the same way as above to assemble the ingredients, then cover and place in the freezer. It’s best to thaw in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking and remove the cover. Bake as directed, and expect an extra 15 minutes of cooking time.

How to Freeze Leftovers and Reheat

Store cooked leftovers in the freezer, covered, in single-serving sizes for best results. When ready to reheat, you can either thaw overnight or reheat from frozen. Place in the oven at 350 degrees F for 35 – 45 minutes.