Description
A cozy, crowd-pleasing Baked Rigatoni with rich sauce and creamy béchamel—easily made vegetarian. Use the honeycomb method ( 9-inch springform pan) for special occasions, or bake it in your favorite 9×13-inch baking dish. Vegan-adaptable.
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 lb ground meat broken into smaller pieces (use ground beef, plant-based "meat" like Beyond Burger, ground turkey, lamb, elk, or even bison).
- 1 teaspoon salt (perhaps reduce if using Beyond Burger)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce
- 1/4 cup of water, to rinse out the jar
- 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino
- 1/2 cup mozzarella (save for top)
Bechemel Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk (or plant-milk)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, fresh-grated is nice here
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1/4 -1/2 cup grated mozzarella (or melty vegan cheese)
Bake this in a 9-inch springform pan lined with parchment on the sides. Grease the bottom. (Or grease a 9x13-inch baking dish).
Instructions
- Cook the rigatoni – bring salted water to a boil, simmer pasta for 7 minutes or to al dente (see note), drain. If baking in the springform pan, spread out on a sheet pan to cool- and do not coat with oil. (If using a 9×13 baking dish, place it in the pan and lightly coat it with olive oil.)
- Make the rigatoni sauce. In a large saute pan or braiser, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, saute onion until softened, stirring, about 4 mins. Add garlic, saute one min. Add meat, breaking it apart. Season with the salt, pepper, fennel seeds, paprika, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes, and keep breaking down the meat and browning it. Stir in the tomato paste, then the marinara sauce. Add ½ cup water, rinsing out the jar. Cover, bring to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the balsamic. Turn off the heat and stir in the pecorino cheese. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and spice levels. Sometimes, a tiny bit of sugar or honey is nice here if your sauce is acidic.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Assemble. (See notes for 9×13 pan) Place 1 ½ cups of the sauce in the 9-inch spring form pan. Brush a light glaze of marinara over the sides of the parchment. Place the far edge of the pan on something so it is higher in the back, tilting it towards you. Working from the front, start lining up the pasta upright until it is filled (don’t pack too tight). Give a few taps on the counter and a few shakes to level.
- Top it. Spoon the remaining marinara over the top, working it in a cup at a time. Tapping on the counter again to shake it down. You want the sauce to get in there! Yes, it will fit.
- Make the bechamel sauce. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan, stir in the garlic, and cook over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the milk, bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Add the cheese. If it is really thick add more milk, just enough so it can just pour out of the pan. Grate the fresh nutmeg and add the salt and pepper, and whisk. Pour this over the rigatoni, smoothing it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with ¼- ½ cup cheese, cover with parchment paper, then tightly wrap with foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes (with a sheet pan on the lower rack to catch any drippings), then uncover carefully and bake for 30 more minutes, until beautiful and golden, browning it if needed.
- Let it rest 10-15 minutes before removing the edges of the cheesecake pan.
Equipment
Notes
Pasta- if using the spring form pan, be doubly sure not to overcook the pasta. Al denta pasta will make them easier to stand upright. Tuck any broken ones in the middle area, saving the best ones for the edges.
If using a 9×13-inch baking dish: Grease the pan, mix pasta with the meat sauce, and shake the pan to level. Cover with bechamel, bake for 30 minutes, covered; uncover and bake until deeply golden, another 15-20 minutes.
Leftovers keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen up to 3 months.
Vegetarian/Vegan adaptable– I’ve made this with vegan Beyond Burger, and it is delicious. Yes, you can adapt to a vegan diet-use vegan milk, cheese, and vegan butter ( or olive oil) in the bechamel sauce.
Making ahead. Assemble the pasta ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before baking.
If making this in the 9×13-inch baking dish, know that prep time will be significantly reduced!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 387
- Sugar: 6.2 g
- Sodium: 855.3 mg
- Fat: 7.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 3.6 g
- Protein: 26.6 g
- Cholesterol: 43.3 mg
