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Easy Cheesy Baked Rigatoni for Cozy Family Dinners: My easy baked rigatoni recipe is a crowd-pleasing comfort food classic made with tender pasta, creamy cheese, and a hearty red sauce. It’s simple to prep, bakes in one dish, and delivers all the flavor of a traditional baked pasta– but so much easier. This dinner is great for busy weeknights, potlucks, or cozy Sunday dinners – I also make big trays of this for new baby meals at church.
If you’re craving comfort food with major cheesy, saucy payoff and minimal effort, this Cheesy Baked Rigatoni is exactly what you need! This is the one One-Pan Cheesy Baked Rigatoni You’ll Make on Repeat!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How to Make Cheesy Baked Rigatoni
This cheesy baked rigatoni is the ultimate comfort food, loaded with tender pasta, savory Italian sausage, marinara sauce, and a melty blend of cheeses. It’s easy to prep, bakes in one dish, and is perfect for cozy weeknights, family dinners, or feeding a hungry crowd.
Ingredients to Make One Pan Baked Rigatoni with Cheese
To make this recipe, we will need the following ingredients:
- 1 lb Italian sausage: Adds bold, savory flavor and protein to the dish. The seasoning in the sausage infuses the whole bake with extra richness and spice — no need to add much else!
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta: A sturdy, tube-shaped pasta that holds sauce and cheese beautifully. The ridges trap flavor and ensure every bite is satisfying and saucy.
- 1 jar (about 24 oz) marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought): The flavorful base that ties everything together. It provides moisture, tomato depth, and classic Italian flavor. Store-bought keeps it easy; homemade makes it special.
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided: Brings creamy meltiness and that crave-worthy cheese pull. Half is mixed in for gooey texture, and half goes on top for that golden, bubbly finish.
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese: Adds salty, nutty flavor and boosts the cheesiness. Parmesan enhances the overall depth and brings in that classic baked pasta taste.
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (or cottage/cream cheese substitute): Makes the dish creamy and comforting. Ricotta adds richness and balances the acidity of the tomato sauce — you can also use cottage or cream cheese for a similar effect.
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning: A blend of dried herbs (typically oregano, basil, thyme) that enhances the sauce and ties the whole dish together with classic Italian flavor.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder: Boosts the savoriness without the bite of fresh garlic — perfect for adding flavor fast and evenly throughout the dish.
- Salt & pepper, to taste: Essential for balancing flavors and bringing out the best in the sauce, cheese, and pasta.
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish (optional): Adds freshness, color, and a little brightness to balance the richness of the baked pasta. A finishing touch that makes it feel fresh-from-scratch.
Steps to Bake Rigatoni and Cheese
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, we will use the following process:
Brown Sausage
In a large pan, brown sausage and crumble with spatula as it cooks.
Cook Rigatoni Al Dente
Cook rigatoni, keeping the pasta fairly crunchy, so it doesn’t fall apart in the sauce.
Add to Pan
Add pasta and cooked sausage to prepped casserole dish.
Top with Sauce
Add sauce and ricotta to pasta, mix.
Combine With Herbs
Stir in herbs and seasonings, mix pasta well.
Top with Cheese
Top with cheese and wrap tightly in foil.
Bake
Bake 30-35 minutes, until cheese is bubbly.
Tips and Tricks for Baked Rigatoni and Cheese
Undercook the pasta slightly. Cook the rigatoni 1–2 minutes less than the box says (just shy of al dente). It will finish cooking in the oven and soak up the sauce without turning mushy.
Mix sauce and pasta before baking. Tossing everything together first ensures every bite is coated in saucy, cheesy goodness and helps the dish bake evenly.
Use a mix of cheeses. Combine mozzarella for stretch, parmesan for salty bite, and ricotta or cream cheese for creaminess. This gives you depth and melt-factor.
Cover, then uncover. Bake covered with foil for the first half to melt the cheese and heat everything through, then uncover to brown the top and get those golden cheesy edges.
Let it rest before serving. Give the baked rigatoni 5–10 minutes out of the oven before scooping. It sets up, firms a bit, and doesn’t slide all over your plate.
Add protein or veggies. Want to make it a full meal? Add cooked sausage, ground beef, mushrooms, or spinach to the sauce before baking.
Baked Rigatoni and Cheese Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble the dish fully (just don’t bake it), cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding an extra 10–15 minutes if it’s going in cold.
Definitely. Wrap it well in a freezer-safe container or foil pan. It’ll keep for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350°F for about 1 hour, covered, then uncover to brown the top.
Mozzarella is classic, but adding parmesan gives flavor and salt, while ricotta, cream cheese, or cottage cheese add richness. You can also use an Italian blend for convenience.
Mostly the shape! Ziti is smooth and straight; rigatoni is wider with ridges. Rigatoni tends to hold more sauce and cheese, making it extra hearty.
Absolutely. Use your favorite store-bought marinara or spaghetti sauce to keep things easy. Just make sure it’s flavorful since it’s the base of the dish.
what to Serve With Baked Rigatoni
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Cheesy Baked Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 lb italian sausage
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 1 jar, about 24 oz marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, or sub cottage cheese or cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook 1 lb Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles until browned and cooked through. Drain excess fat if needed and set aside.
- Cook 1 lb rigatoni in a large pot of salted water until just shy of al dente — about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained pasta with: 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce, 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (reserve ½ cup for topping), 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (reserve ½ cup for topping), ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, Salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix everything together until the pasta is well coated and evenly mixed.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Top with the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, if using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
