Hearty meat sauce, perfectly crisp rigatoni, and melty mozzarella come together beautifully in my Pasta al Forno! Easy to make and so comforting, this dish is perfect for cold nights and gatherings! This baked rigatoni with meat sauce can be made ahead of time and reheated, making it ideal for holidays!
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Baked Pasta = Comfort
If you grew up in an Italian-American household like I did, it’s likely you associate food with comfort, and baked pasta, or Pasta al Forno, is definitely in my top 5, along with pasta fagioli, and meatballs with Sunday sauce.
There’s something about the crispy baked rigatoni and melted mozzarella that take me back to my childhood when things were simpler. Eating pasta al forno, or any baked pasta, really speaks to my inner child, and I hope that when my kids are grown, they feel the same way.
I love to serve my baked rigatoni with meat sauce on holidays, like Christmas and Easter, but it truly is so easy you can whip it up any night of the week!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Pasta. I love using rigatoni for pasta al forno as it holds up well to the baking process, but any tubular pasta, such as ziti or penne, will work. In fact, Sicilians make a baked pasta called anelletti al forno, which uses ring-shaped pasta.
- Meat. I love a meat sauce for pasta al forno and use a combination of ground beef and pork. You can use any ground meat you’d like, such as Italian hot or sweet sausage, or even turkey or chicken.
- Cheese. Block mozzarella is best for baked pasta as it melts well. I’m also using grated Pecorino Romano. I don’t use ricotta in this recipe (I do for my baked ziti), but if you’d like to add it you definitely can! You could also use add some chunks of scamorza or caciocavallo if you like.
- Tomatoes. You can use canned whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes.
- Wine. I love the flavor and acidity a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc adds to meat sauce, but you can easily omit the wine and still have great results.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Cook the onion in a large pan over medium heat with olive oil.
- Once the onion is translucent, add the beef and pork and cook until browned. Use a meat masher or spoon to break up the meat.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant then add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add the wine and turn the heat to high.
- Once the wine reduces by half, turn the heat down and add the tomatoes. Bring to a lively simmer then lower the heat to low. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce continue to simmer on low while you prepare the pasta.
- Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of boiling salted water to 3 minutes less than al dente per the box instructions. Place 4 cups of the sauce in a large bowl and add the pasta along with the Pecorino and 3/4 of the shredded mozzarella and mix well.
- Place a 1/4-inch thick layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish and pour the pasta into the dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella and bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, or once the top is browned, remove the pasta from the oven. For more color on top, broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully to prevent burning. Allow the pasta al forno to settle for at least 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Top tips
- The sauce. If you find that your sauce is too thick, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water to thin it out. Make sure to place a thick layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Undercook the pasta. Be sure to undercook the pasta by 3 minutes less than al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven and undercooking it ensures you won’t have mushy pasta.
- Make ahead. To make pasta al forno ahead, you can either assemble, refrigerate, and bake before serving, or you can fully bake, refrigerate, and reheat in the oven until warmed through before serving. You’ll get similar results either way.
More baked pasta recipes
If you love baked pasta, give these other recipes a try!
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Pasta Al Forno (Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce)
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Remaining ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella
- 3/4 cup grated pecorino romano
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Instructions
For the sauce
- Heat a large pan or pot to medium with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the beef and pork and cook until browned. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon or meat masher. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add the wine to the pan and turn the heat to high. Once the wine reduces by half, turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes. Bring to a lively simmer, then turn the heat to low. Taste test the sauce and season with salt and pepper as required. Let the sauce gently cook on low and move to the next step.
Assembling the pasta al forno
- Preheat oven to 375°F and set the rack to the middle level.
- While the sauce is simmering bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until 3 minutes less than al dente.
- If the sauce is too thick, mix in a 1/2-1 cup of water. Prepare a 9×13" baking dish by placing a 1/4-inch thick layer of sauce on the bottom.
- Place 4 cups of sauce into a large bowl and add the pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano, and 3/4 of the shredded mozzarella. Mix well.
- Pour the pasta into the baking dish. Top with a thin layer of sauce and the remaining mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned on top. For extra color broil for 1-2 more minutes but watch carefully! Wait at least 10-15 minutes before eating so that the pasta settles. Enjoy!
Notes
- Servings. Makes 8 moderate-sized or 6 large portions.
- Undercook the pasta. Fully boiled pasta will become mushy after baking for another 30 minutes, so shoot for a bit firmer than al dente or about 2-3 minutes less than the box instructions.
- Sauce the bottom. Put a hefty layer of the sausage sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to avoid sticking.
- Broil for color. Bake the pasta until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned on top. For extra color, broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch very carefully to avoid burning.
- Leftovers. Pasta al forno can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven. Leftover sauce can be saved or served on the side or used for bread dipping.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on January 31, 2019. It was completely updated on December 23, 2025, with new photos and process steps.
Hi ,I love this recipe and have tried it with successful results Thank you!
I was looking for another recipe of yours using ricotta blended into the sauce. May I please have the name of that recipe? thanks very much.
From a Calabrese , 2nd generation American, who grew up in Brooklyn and L.I.
I enjoy your show, you bring back many happy food and family memories.
Helen Troy
Hi Helen, was it the baked ziti recipe? https://www.sipandfeast.com/baked-ziti/
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
My cookbook finally came today! Just in time since I’m making baked ziti for Christmas 🎄 I am adding meat( ground turkey and sausage) so kind of combining this For no recipe with your ziti recipe. So far so good. Love the book. My Christmas gift …to me.
So happy you like the book, Kathleen, and thanks for buying!
Looks delicious! At first it sounded like a bolognese. Sip and Feast is my #1 to go to when I need a new recipe. Love you guys! ❤️Tara I saw somewhere you were from Farmingdale, me too!
We’re so happy to hear that, Deanna! Thanks so much for the comment, especially from another Daler! 🙂
Delicioso. I love your sauce recipes especially. Simple = delicious. For years I was always adding too many spices. 🙄 rigatoni is a perfect choice for this dish, helps to lighten it up. Perfect for a chilly winter evening. Bonus extra sauce to freeze for future dishes. A+++
So glad you enjoyed, Anna!
I made the sauce. But I kept re-reading the ingredients because there’s no basil, no oregano, and only two cloves of garlic for three cans of tomatoes. Why is there no Italian seasoning in this Italian dish?
Thank you.
I do adore your recipes, though.
Sandy
Hi Sandy, this recipe, as all of our others, was tested extensively and we found that this particular dish is flavored by the beef, pork, cheese, and touch of wine. There is simply no need for basil or oregano in this dish, and we never use anything labled as “Italian seasoning” in any of our recipes. That being said, feel free to add any seasonings you feel would be most enjoyable for you and your taste.
Hi! Is there a substitute for the white wine?
You can omit the wine if needed.
Making tonight- what size baking dish do you use?
Hi Jaime, you can use a 9×13 baking dish.
I made the pasta al forno last Saturday, and it was deeelish! Making the sauce again today to use in lasagna. Honestly, that pasta dish could serve 10 people. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
So happy you enjoyed, Vicky!
I wanted lasagna for Christmas, but decided on the Pasta Al Forno dish. I’m so glad I went that way. I made the recipe exactly as written, with one slight exception. I added a bit of ricotta between the layers and it came out delightful. Even if I had not used the ricotta, this recipe is so good! I usually make the same sauce my Mom taught me to make, but wanted to try something different. How good it was. Sorry Mom! The pasta was soft in the middle, with a crispy layer on top. What a treat. The sauce was even better the next day, as Jim had mentioned in his video. This dish is not only a great family meal, but it is also “company” worthy. I will make this for friends when they come over. This is super recipe and very easy to make. Thank you!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this, LuAnn!
No ricotta. That’s good because I’m not a huge fan, but I’ve always used it in my traditional Italian baked ziti. We won’t miss it? I’m gonna try your recipe tomorrow, just want to ask about your deliberate omission of the ricotta first…
Hi Diane, that’s correct. There’s no ricotta in this one.
My husband and I have been cooking our way through your website after finding you on YouTube. Everything has been incredibly good – thank you for that. I have a question on this recipe –
“Once sauce starts bubbling turn heat to low and simmer for 30 plus minutes, the longer the better. ” – In a perfect world, how long would you go? What’s optimal? Thank you!
Hi Jim and Tara. I am making this again for Thanksgiving and am wondering about using red wine instead of white. How would it affect the overall flavor? Also thinking of using leftovers somehow for a music gathering with friends the day after. Any ideas? Thank you.
Hi Tricia, you can use red wine for the sauce and it will still be good. For leftovers, be sure you have extra sauce because it can dry out. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jim and Tara,thank you for bringing back the recipes and traditional food of my childhood. My question is regarding nutrition, is the information per serving or entire recipe? Thank you again, I love your site!
Hi Debbie, thank you so much for the comment! It is per serving, but nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Jim, your recipes are fantastic. As footnote, you mentioned that you sometimes add various meats like pork chops and chicken wings to your meat sauce. I’m looking for a meaty sauce with layers of flavors from the different cuts of meats, a sauce that cooks all day and melds together into sheer glory. Can you share your sauce recipe nd technique when using various meats? Thanks so much.
Hi Joette, thanks for the comment. Jim has a few different Sunday Sauce videos on YouTube where he uses different meat so you can definitely check those out.
Hello, James!
I’m making two large lasagnas at the end of the week (from the recipe you have of Italian-American Lasagna) that uses the sauce from this recipe. I doubled the lasagna recipe and it’s calling for 10 cups of sauce, but when I double the recipe here (giving me about 14 cups of sauce), this recipe says that it makes about 8 servings… I’m not a math person, but does this make sense? That would be almost 2 cups of sauce per serving… My main question is, will doubling this sauce recipe give me enough sauce for two large lasagnas? Thanks for your help! This sounds delicious!
Hi Amy, doubling the sauce will give you enough for the lasagnas. With regards to the “2x” and “3x”, it’s an automated calculator and doesn’t scale all aspects of the recipe. I think you’re seeing 8 servings in the “Notes” section – that section will not double. Only the ingredients and the Servings listed at the top of the recipe card will double (for example, it goes from 6 to 12 when doubled). I hope that makes sense.
This is just how I like to make sauce, simple & with whole tomatoes. I added some basil (just because) to the oil with the sweated onions & garlic – then used what cheese I had on hand: mozzarella, provolone, parmaesan, Romano w/ rigatoni pasta. I added some pasta water back in to prevent dryness. Served with homemade bread my 21 year old brought by & left for us. Came out great, my daughter loved it. Cheers from So. CALIFORNIA & Thanks as always.
Jim… I have a question regarding mozzarella and this recipe should you use fresh mozzarella or the polio or Bella Giosa brand of store-bought mozzarella? I know there is a difference and the texture and fat content. I would appreciate your opinion
Hi Bill, Jim tries to always include a photo of the ingredients used in his recipes. For this one you’ll see he’s using Polly-O block mozzarella. He almost always uses a block mozzarella (Polly-O, Galbani, etc), especially for baked pastas, unless otherwise noted to use “fresh mozzarella”.