This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Rigatoni tossed in a homemade creamy and tender meat sauce. It’s a quick and easy delicious pasta dish made with simple ingredients in under 30 minutes!
If you enjoy baked ziti, you’re going to love this rigatoni. It’s just as delicious but there’s no baking involved. I only added parmesan cheese but feel free to add ricotta and mozzarella cheese to jazz it up!
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta – Any type of pasta will work! Use your favorite.
- Beef – Although I used ground beef feel free to use ground turkey or spicy ground sausage.
- Crushed Tomatoes – I used one 28-ounce can and one 15-ounce can. If you use only one 28-ounce can, reduce the pasta amount otherwise it will turn out a little dry.
- Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce extra creamy!
- Salt – Be generous with the salt, otherwise it can turn out bland.
- Sugar – It helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, you can use baking soda if you don’t have sugar.
How To Make Rigatoni – Step-By-Step Photos
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot, this should take about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red crushed pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and basil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- While the meat sauce cooks, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions and reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water. I highly recommend cooking the rigatoni al dente.
- Once the 10 minutes are up, uncover and add the heavy cream. Season the sauce generously with salt and pepper. If you like it extra spicy, add more red crushed pepper. If you want the pasta saucier, add the pasta water.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and check for seasoning. Top it off with fresh parmesan cheese and chopped basil, if desired.
Top Tips
- If you like your pasta extra creamy, add about 1/4 cup of pasta water.
- Check for seasoning right before serving your guests and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately while the rigatoni is nice and hot.
- If you plan on having seconds, make sure to cover the pot of pasta so it doesn’t get dry, and give it a quick stir before serving.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. I like to add about 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt to a large pot of water.
- Serve with cheesy garlic bread for a restaurant-quality meal.
Can I Use Store-Bought Jar Sauce?
Yes, feel free to use two 28-ounce jars of marinara sauce instead of canned crushed tomatoes if you’re in a pinch.
Storage
Allow the leftovers to cool completely then transfer them to an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop.
More Recipes You Might Enjoy
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. And consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 1 lb ground beef , or 1.5 lbs
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 small onion , finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon sugar, optional
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- ¼ cup pasta water , optional
- red crushed pepper to taste, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef in a large pot, this should take about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, red crushed pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and basil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- While the meat sauce cooks, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions and reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water. I highly recommend cooking the rigatoni al dente.
- Once the 10 minutes are up, uncover and add the heavy cream. Season the sauce generously with salt and pepper. If you like it extra spicy, add more red crushed pepper. If you want the pasta saucier, add the pasta water.
- Stir in the cooked pasta and check for seasoning. Top it off with fresh parmesan cheese and chopped basil, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
