This easy dinner or lunch is in our weekly rotation. I make it on the days when I have to cook but I don’t really want to. Another plus is that I know that everyone in my house loves it and will eat it including my picky-eating toddler.
Table of contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
These cheesy rigatoni with meat sauce are a crowd-pleaser and require little to no effort. You will just need to gather the ingredients, chop the onion, and carrots and grate the garlic. Saute the veggies and meat, and add the tomatoes to make the sauce. Boil the pasta and just assemble the dish.
It requires just a few simple ingredients that you most probably have in your fridge and pantry – pasta, veggies, ground beef, tomatoes, and cheese.
It could be a great meal for a date night as well. Add a glass of wine, and a small salad, and finish with a chocolate lava cake, and bam you have the perfect dinner.
Ingredients
- Pasta – I love rigatoni pasta. The pasta is thicker and hollow. It makes a chew and full of sauce bite. You can of course use any other pasta you have in your pantry. But I encourage you to try rigatoni.
- Ground Beef – I think ground beef is the perfect protein choice for this dish. But you could also sub for Italian sausage( mild or spicy). However, I would suggest draining the fat after sauteeing the sausage because it makes the meal a bit heavy.
- Veggies – onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes. The sweetness of the carrots helps with the acidity of the tomatoes. You could also chop 1 or 2 stalks of celery if you enjoy the taste. I am personally not a fan of it so I omit it.
- Spices – I use black pepper and dry oregano, dry and fresh basil. Fresh basil gives a wonderful depth of flavor to the dish I highly suggest that you do not skip it.
- Cheese – I use mozzarella and pecorino romano. I grate 16 oz of mozzarella over the whole pan of pasta and then ‘broil it for a few minutes until the cheese starts to bubble. Then when serving I grate some pecorino romano on each plate. However, you can use just one of those cheeses Parmigiano Reggiano, or any other cheese you enjoy.
How To Make Cheesy Rigatoni With Meat Sauce
- How to make the meat sauce – chop the onion and carrots, and grate the garlic. Heat a large pan on the stove, add 3 tbsp of olive oil. Saute the onion and carrots until soft and slightly browned – about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and keep sauteing until no longer red. About 5-6 minutes. Add the grated garlic, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 30 min.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta to al dente as directed on the package. Reserve 1 cup of the water then drain the pasta.
- Assemble – Add the reserved pasta water to the sauce and stir. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Top with shredded mozzarella. You can either cover the pan with a lid and let the cheese melt for about 5 minutes or place it in the oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts browning. Serve with some grated pecorino romano cheese and fresh basil leaves.
Some Other Pasta Recipes That You May Enjoy
FAQs About The Cheesy Rigatoni With Meat Sauce
Sure, you can. You can use ziti, fusilli, spaghetti, or anything else you have in hand. Just make sure you cook it al dente.
No, that is optional. You can grate the cheese close with a lid and let the paste rest for 5 minutes. The cheese will be melty. You can also just grate the cheese on each plate right after you serve the pasta.
My personal favorite is first using mozzarella which is broiled a bit and then grating Pecorino Romano. However, you can use mozzarella, just pecorino romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or parmesan. Those are my personal favorites. But if you prefer other cheese please use them.
Just place any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. It is good for about 3. Then reheat in the microwave.
The pasta water has starch in and it helps the sauce stick to the pasta itself.
What To Serve With Cheesy Rigatoni With Meat Sauce
It is great on its own! But if you would like to add some veggies start with a light green salad. Add a glass of red wine. And finish with chocolate lava cake or tiramisu.
Have You Tried This Cheesy Rigatoni With Meat Sauce Recipe?
If you make this Cheesy Rigatoni With Meat Sauce Recipe be sure to rate it or/and leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! I would love to see how your cookies turned out! Thank you so much!
Cheesy Rigatoni With Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbsp dry oregano
- 1 tbsp dry basil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt more or less up to taste
- 1 lb mozzarella shredded
- Pecorino Romano Or Parmigiano Reggiano for serving grated
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Chop the onion and carrots, and grate the garlic. Heat a large pan on the stove, add 3 tbsp of olive oil. Saute the onion and carrots until soft and slightly browned – about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and keep sauteing until no longer red. About 5-6 minutes. Add the grated garlic, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 30 min.
- Cook the pasta to al dente as directed on the package. Reserve 1 cup of the water then drain the pasta.
- Add the reserved pasta water to the sauce and stir. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix well. Top with shredded mozzarella. You can either cover the pan with a lid and let the cheese melt for about 5 minutes or place it in the oven and broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese starts browning. Serve with some grated pecorino romano cheese and fresh basil leaves.
