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This baked rigatoni pasta is cozy, cheesy, and easy to make for a weeknight dinner! Tender noodles and melty mozzarella come together in a hearty, comforting meal.
There’s something about pulling a bubbling pan of baked rigatoni out of the oven that feels so satisfying. I’ve tested many pasta bakes over the years, and this baked rigatoni recipe has become my go-to whenever I need a meal for a crowd.
Rigatoni are large, ridged tubes that are cut straight across, and honestly I love how one bite of rigatoni feels somehow more substantial than penne! The shape tends to hold sauces a bit better, so each bite has the perfect amount of pasta, sauce, and cheese. I skip the meat in my recipe, letting the garlicky marinara sauce carry the flavors. Trust me: nobody misses it and there’s often no leftovers in the pan!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here are a few reasons why I hope you’ll love this recipe:
- Pure comfort food: Gooey cheese, tender pasta, and rich tomato sauce hit all the cozy notes
- Comes together in under 1 hour: Pasta bakes can take a while (think lasagna!), but this one is simple and done in 45 minutes
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble everything in the baking dish, refrigerate, and bake when ready
- Crowd-pleaser: I’ve served this to picky kids and adults and everyone loves it
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I recently chose to make two pans of your Baked Rigatoni, and it was a big hit. I am making it today for family coming over, and I am going to add ground meat and possibly sausage. I’ll let you know how that turns out.” -Anonymous
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
The sauce in this baked rigatoni is full of tangy tomato flavor! I’ve used a few tricks to get big flavor with little effort. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Rigatoni Pasta: These ridged tubes hold sauce better than smooth pasta, though you can substitute penne or ziti in a pinch. Rigatoni comes from the Italian word rigato that means “ridged”. It’s easy to find at most grocery stores.
- Marinara Sauce: Use a quality jarred sauce. I look for brands with simple ingredients like tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and herbs.
- Fire-Roasted Crushed Tomatoes: Add to the marinara these tomatoes, which add depth and a slow-cooked tomato flavor. More on why these are crucial below.
- Fresh Garlic: Garlic sautéed in olive oil creates that essential aromatic foundation.
- Fennel Seeds: My secret weapon for adding savory, almost meaty depth to vegetarian pasta dishes is dried fennel! It brings that Italian sausage vibe without any meat.
- Fresh Basil: Peppery, bright, and essential. Dried basil won’t give you the same fresh, vibrant flavor, so make sure to find this.
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese: This is what creates those beautiful cheese pulls. Shredded mozzarella works too, if you use whole milk mozzarella.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds a sharp, salty layer that balances the mozzarella.
Ingredient Spotlight: Fire Roasted Tomatoes
I recommend using canned fire roasted tomatoes, because they have a sweet flavor right out of the can. This means you don’t have to spend a long time simmering for great flavor! There are several of brands of fire roasted tomatoes these days that should be available at your local grocery.
Using these tomatoes is a little less crucial for a recipe like this where you’re combining them with marinara sauce. If you can’t find them, buy the best quality tomatoes you can find (San Marzano tomatoes typically work well).
Variations & Easy Substitutions
You can always add mix-ins to this rigatoni! Here are some ideas on ingredients to add:
- Cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, or plant based meat crumbles: Make it traditional and sauté meat or veggie crumbles. Add them to the pasta and sauce before baking.
- Spinach and mushrooms: Add sauteed spinach and mushrooms like in my Vegan Lasagna filling.
- Chopped kale or spinach: Add sauteed kale or sauteed spinach to the mix.
- Zucchini: In summer, add sauteed zucchini for added vegetables.
- Spicy: Increase the red pepper flakes to ¼ teaspoon or more.
- Cheesy: Add dollops of ricotta cheese or crumbled goat cheese between the pasta layers for extra creaminess
How to Make Baked Rigatoni
This baked rigatoni is simple to put together with intuitive cooking steps. Here’s all you have to do to make it (or jump to the full recipe below for quantities):
- Boil the pasta to al dente: Boil the rigatoni until just al dente, which means tender on the outside with a slight firm bite at the center. This is crucial because the pasta continues cooking in the oven. I usually start checking about two minutes before the package instructions say it’s done. For most brands, this means 7-8 minutes of cooking.
- Make the sauce: While the pasta cooks, make the quick sauce by sautéing garlic, then adding marinara, fire roasted tomatoes and spices. Simmer for a few minutes.
- Combine and assemble: Pour the drained pasta into your prepared baking dish and pour the sauce over the top. Toss everything together until the rigatoni is evenly coated. Tear the fresh mozzarella into irregular pieces and nestle them throughout the pasta, then sprinkle the top generously with more parmesan cheese.
- Bake to perfection: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. This covered cooking ensures the pasta finishes cooking without drying out. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered until the top is golden brown. If you want extra browning, you can broil it for a minute or two, but watch it carefully.
- Rest before serving: This is the hardest part: let the baked rigatoni sit for at least 5 minutes before diving in. This lets the sauce thicken slightly and makes serving much cleaner.
Make Ahead Tip
You can make this baked rigatoni recipe ahead: assemble the pasta and then refrigerate it until baking. I’d suggest refrigerating for only 24 hours. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time to make sure that it’s fully warmed through and the cheese is fully melted.
How to Serve It
I love to pair baked pasta with a few simple sides to round out the meal. A crisp Italian salad or chopped salad are the perfect fresh pairing. A wedge salad with creamy dressing also makes a nice starter before baked rigatoni.
I also love serving pan fried broccoli or sauteed broccoli alongside for a pop of green. Of course, garlic bread or toasted focaccia bread are popular Italian sides that everyone loves!
For appetizers, start with an antipasto platter, caprese skewers, or easy bruschetta to set an Italian theme.
Storage & Reheating
You can store leftover baked rigatoni in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat in the oven, place it in a casserole dish, cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes until heated through.
You can freeze baked rigatoni either before or after baking, but the pasta becomes very soft. I prefer this one freshly made or as leftovers a few days after.
Dietary Notes
This baked rigatoni pasta is vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free or legume pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Baked rigatoni and baked ziti are very similar baked pasta dishes. The main difference is the pasta shape: rigatoni has ridges on the outside and is slightly larger in diameter, while ziti is smooth and slightly smaller. Go to my Baked Ziti recipe for more!
Both are Italian-American comfort food classics: lasagna uses flat noodle sheets layered with sauce and cheese, while baked rigatoni uses tube-shaped pasta mixed with sauce and usually comes together quicker. Lasagna often includes ricotta cheese as a layer, while baked rigatoni usually sticks to mozzarella and parmesan throughout.
Yes, you absolutely need to boil rigatoni pasta before baking it. Unlike some no-boil baked pasta dishes, rigatoni is too thick and dense to cook properly just from the moisture in the sauce.
I like fresh mozzarella because it melts into gooey, creamy pockets throughout the dish. Shredded whole milk mozzarella works too and browns nicely on top. Parmesan cheese adds essential savory, nutty depth. You could also use pecorino romano (for more intense saltiness than parmesan).
Absolutely! This is one of the best make-ahead pasta dishes. Prepare everything through the assembly step, cover the baking dish tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking.
When ready to serve, bake straight from the fridge, adding about 5 extra minutes to the covered baking time to ensure it heats through.
Baked Rigatoni Pasta
This easy baked rigatoni is all about crowd pleasing flavor! Bake this popular pasta with garlicky tomato sauce, fresh basil, and gooey mozzarella.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 24 ounce jar marinara sauce (or make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce)
- 15 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (or best quality tomatoes)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ½ cup basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese (or shredded)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush a 9 x 13″ baking dish with olive oil.
- Start a pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the rigatoni until it is just al dente (start tasting a few minutes before the package recommends: you want it to be tender but still a little firm on the inside; usually around 7 to 8 minutes). Drain.
- Meanwhile, mince the garlic. In a separate pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the basil, marinara sauce, and tomatoes and stir for 1 minute. Stir in ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder and 1 pinch red pepper flakes and the ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Remove from the heat.
- Pour the sauce and the drained pasta into the baking dish. Top with torn pieces of mozzarella. Sprinkle the entire top with generous sprinkles of Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until browned.
- Remove the pan from the oven and top with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided over the top. Let stand 5 minutes. If desired, garnish with chopped basil. (Make ahead instructions: Make the pasta through Step 4 and cover with foil. Refrigerate until baking, up to 24 hours.)
Notes
Storage and leftover notes: You can store leftover baked rigatoni in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat in the oven, place it in a casserole dish, cover with foil and warm at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes until heated through. You can freeze baked rigatoni either before or after baking, but the pasta becomes very soft. I prefer this one freshly made or as leftovers a few days after.
This was a great easy recipe. The fennel was fantastic. I replaced the basil with a dried Italian spice mix and highly recommend using fresh mozzarella. Thanks!!
I tried the rigatoni for father’s day and it was amazing!!! Thanks for your recipe. My family loved it.
So glad to hear that! Thanks for making it!
This is an excellent basic recipe. I made a number of changes and my husband and I both enjoyed it. I think saying it takes only 10 minutes of prep time is a joke. I mixed half the mozz with the pasta and added some chopped kalamata olives. I sprinkled the rest of the mozz on top. I made half a recipe so for sauce, I used one can of fire roasted tomatoes plus about a tablespoon and a half of chopped sundried tomatoes in oil and added enough cherry tomatoes which I happened to have on hand to make the other five ounces of tomato sauce. I do not like jarred sauce.
I recently had to make two baked rigatoni dishes for a Friday funeral reception. Since it’s Lent, we couldn’t include meat in our dish. I chose to make two pans of your Baked Rigatoni, and it was a big hit. I am making it today for family coming over, and I am going to add ground meat and possibly sausage. I’ll let you know how that turns out.
Thanks for recipe!
Lovely recipe, but this isn’t vegetarian unless one is careful about what Parmesan they buy. Parm is traditionally made with animal rennet, and since that typically comes from distinctly non vegetarian sources, be careful when shopping to buy Parm made with vegetarian friendly rennet
The directions never indicate when to add the jarred marinara sauce. I’m assuming at step 3, adding it to the fire roasted tomatoes, etc.? Also, instruction #1 says to brush the dish. Once again, I’m assuming to do so with olive oil? Will someone confirm these assumptions? Thanks
You are correct and the recipe is updated. Thank you!