Four Cheese Baked Rigatoni

close-up of the best baked rigatoni in a casserole dish (portion is being lifted out with a spatula)

5 from 5 votes

This easy baked rigatoni recipe has Italian sausage, marinara sauce, loads of cheese, and it feeds a crowd. It's simple to make and super comforting on busy weeknights!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian American

Keyword: baked rigatoni, rigatoni bake

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
16 ounces Italian sausage
1/2 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
3 cups (24 oz.) marinara sauce
8 ounces ricotta
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it 2 minutes less than package directions indicate. Once it's done, drain it and add it back to the pot it was cooked in and set aside.
Meanwhile, add the sausage meat, along with the onion, to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook it for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along and stirring occasionally, until it's cooked.
To the skillet, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then continue cooking it for another minute or so.
To the skillet, stir in the marinara sauce and warm it through for a few minutes.
To the pot with the pasta, add in about half of the skillet sausage/sauce mixture and give it a stir. Transfer it to a 9x13 baking/casserole dish and spread it in an even layer.
Add the ricotta to the baking dish (you don't need to be too neat... I just use a spoon to put dollops here and there) and then sprinkle the parmesan evenly over top.
Spoon the rest of the sausage/sauce mixture evenly on top of the parmesan/ricotta layer.
Sprinkle on the mozza/cheddar for the final cheesy topping.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, and then broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese (watch it carefully). Let sit for about 5 minutes prior to serving, then enjoy!

Notes

Serves 6-8 depending on how much people eat/if you serve it with a side.
For the sausage, you can use anything in the ballpark of 16 oz/1 lb. Here in Canada I get a 500g pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages and take the meat out of the casings.
I used 2 cups of a shredded mozza/cheddar blend to save time, but feel free to grate your own cheeses.
See blog post for process photos.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition