Creamy Baked Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe Video

Why We Love This Baked Rigatoni Bolognese

Some of my favorite Italian-inspired recipes are easy oven-baked meals. Tender pasta, zesty tomato sauce, savory meat, and ooey-gooey cheese all layered together and topped with bubbly extra cheese – what’s not to love? Our baked ziti with sausage has long been a top go-to recipe, made with a simple tomato sauce and ricotta cheese. This Baked Rigatoni Bolognese pasta dish is a similar concept, but with a creamier and heartier Bolognese sauce. Classic veggies – like celery, carrots, onion, and garlic – are sauteed with ground beef for a zesty savory flavor. Then tomato sauce, white wine, heavy cream, mozzarella, and rigatoni are added to the mix to create a super filling, utterly rich, and tasty bolognese sauce. Load everything into the casserole dish, top with more shredded cheese, and bake to golden brown goodness in under an hour. This perfect fall comfort food can even be made ahead and frozen! Serve baked rigatoni bolognese as a real crowd-pleasing (kids included!) meal, and I promise the family will ask for this recipe again and again.

Ingredients You Need

Butter – to sautee the veggies Onion – chopped Carrot – chopped Celery – chopped Garlic – minced Ground beef – or turkey Seasonings – salt, ground nutmeg, crushed red pepper (optional for heat) Crushed tomatoes – canned, I recommend low sodium Tomato sauce – canned, plain with no seasonings White wine – or water Dried rigatoni noodles – or other preferred hearty, tubular pasta noodles Heavy cream – to create a perfectly cream bolognese sauce Mozzarella – shredded Parmesan – shaved Fresh parsley or fresh basil – chopped, for garnish

How to Make Creamy Baked Rigatoni Bolognese

From start to finish, you need less than an hour to prepare this wonderfully easy oven-baked pasta recipe.

Recipe Variations

Vegetarian – Replace ground beef or pork with a mix of finely chopped mushrooms, lentils, or crumbled tofu for a hearty, meaty texture. Protein – Substitute the ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken. Veggies – Incorporate additional veggies like zucchini, bell peppers, and spinach to add color and nutrients. Spicy – Replace ground beef with spicy Italian sausage or chorizo for an extra layer of spiciness. Herbs – Add fresh herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme to the sauce to enhance the aromatic profile.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy baked rigatoni bolognese as a hearty main with your favorite Italian-inspired side dishes. It’s great with creamed spinach or caprese salad, and carb-a-licious savory goodies like homemade breadsticks, parmesan bacon knots, or classic buttery garlic bread! Other fabulous sides are crunchy kale caesar salad, caprese panzanella salad, and stacked tomato salad. Or cuddle up with a cozy, warm plateful of pasta bolognese casserole by itself. So long as you let this comforting dish be the star of the show, you simply can’t go wrong!