This Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage recipe is perfect when you’re craving a hearty, rich casserole. It has tangy tomato sauce, cheesy mozzarella, and zesty Italian sausage. There are only 5 ingredients, and this easy pasta dish is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes!
Easy Baked Rigatoni
Gosh, I love making these delicious comfort dishes during busy weeknights!
I like using my Staub to make this Baked Rigatoni. It’s about 4 quarts, and makes a terrific vessel for stove-to-oven meals. I can cook the sausages in it, and then use it to bake the rigatoni.
You can also use a deep, oven-safe skillet or dutch oven.
What Ingredients are in this Recipe
There are only 5 simple, wholesome ingredients in my Baked Rigatoni recipe. Using store bought pasta sauce saves you a ton of time, and you can purchase pre-shredded cheeses for an even faster version.
Here is what you need:
- Rigatoni pasta
- Italian sausage
- jarred pasta sauce
- fresh mozzarella cheese
- grated parmesan cheese
If you can’t find rigatoni in the store, penne is fine to substitute.
Easily make this a gluten free dinner by using your favorite pasta replacement!
Want a vegetarian Baked Rigatoni? You can leave out the sausage or swap with a meat-free sausage substitution.
How to Make Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage
Start to finish this fantastically easy recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make.
1. First, preheat your oven to 350º degrees.
2. Next, cook the Italian sausage. I usually remove the sausages from the casing and cook them like ground beef to create the perfect meaty pasta sauce.
If you want to leave them intact, just cook them whole in a skillet with 1″ of water. Cook the sausages until they reach 160º degrees, let cool, and then slice thin.
3. While the sausage is cooking, start making the pasta. Fill a large stockpot with water, add salt, and set to boil.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. I use the lowest of the range on the instructions listed on the box or bag. If it says cook 8-10 minutes, cook it for 8 minutes. The baking process will continue to cook the pasta.
4. Next, stir the pasta sauce into the sausage. Add the pasta to a casserole dish or your skillet (if you’re baking in that). Pour the pasta sauce over and stir.
5. Nestle the mozzarella cheese throughout the pasta and sausage. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top.
And then just like that, it’s ready!
See Below for the Complete Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage Recipe!
This Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage recipe is great for meal prepping, and leftovers will stay delicious for up to 3 days when kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
I like serving this Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage with a crisp green salad and fresh, hot French bread.
This simple green salad with romaine lettuce, Persian cucumbers, sliced white onion, radishes, and Italian dressing is one of my absolute favorites.
Get my French Bread recipe here. Doesn’t that look delish?
What a delicious looking Baked Rigatoni dish this recipe makes!
I hope you and your family give it a try soon. Leave a comment with your thoughts below!
Get the Recipe Here:
Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage
This Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage recipe is perfect when you're craving a hearty, rich casserole. It has tangy tomato sauce, cheesy mozzarella, and zesty Italian sausage. There are only 5 ingredients, and this easy pasta dish is ready to enjoy in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 16 oz rigatoni pasta
- 16 oz Italian sausage
- 1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese , bite sized
- 4 oz parmesan cheese , grated
Instructions
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Fill a stockpot with about 6 quarts of water, for the pasta. Heat on high until boiling.
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In a skillet, brown the sausage. Drain off visible fat. Preheat oven to 350°.
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Add pasta to boiling, salted water and cook according to directions. Drain.
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Mix the pasta and sausage together in the baking dish. Pour over the pasta sauce. Evenly nestle the mozzarella cheese balls throughout the casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
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Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Recipe Notes
In a hurry? You can serve this Rigatoni with Italian Sausage dish without baking and just enjoy the pasta, sauce, and sausage together!
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
For more meal ideas and dinner prep, follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thefeatherednester/ or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/houseon3rd/
Check out my favorite easy dinner recipes:
- Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs with Veggies
- Ultimate Clam Chowder Soup
- Everyday Summer Recipes Made Easy
- One Pot Dinner Marinara Meatballs
- 5 Favorite Pasta Recipes
I love baked pasta dishes, and this recipe sounds so easy and yummy!
I love pasta, too! And, it is so easy that it’s perfect for any night of the week.