This Quick and Easy Meatball and Rigatoni Bake is ideal for a busy weeknight dinner! With frozen meatballs cooked directly in the sauce, this Italian favorite comes together fast, making it perfect for families on the go!
Ingredients:
- Meatballs: Using frozen beef meatballs in this recipe speeds preparation up a ton! You'll need about 15 -18 medium meatballs.
- Pasta: Our favorite for this recipe is rigatoni, but any short dense pasta will do!
- Marinara: Your favorite jar of marinara, arrabiata, or vodka sauce. Whatever your families preference for spaghetti sauce is!
- Dairy Products: Heavy cream, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella.
- Spices and Herbs: Crushed red pepper and basil
Steps to Prepare Meatball and Rigatoni Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 375° and cook the pasta to al dente in salted water.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, ¼ cup of pasta water, ⅓ cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, and 2 tablespoon of freeze dried basil.
- Pour frozen meatballs and sauce mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to meatballs and sauce. Stir.
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta, 1 tablespoon freeze dried basil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Add dollops of ricotta all over the surface of the pasta.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta, cover with aluminum foil again (spray the foil with cooking spray), and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil, garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper if desired, and enjoy!
Tips for Making Meatball and Rigatoni Bake:
- Don't forget the pasta water. Pasta water is a MUST in baked pastas, or any pasta for that matter. The additional starch in the water helps make a silky smooth sauce!
- Spray the aluminum foil with cooking spray before melting the cheese. This will help keep the foil from sticking to the cheese and ruining your masterpiece!
- Broil for the last 30 seconds (if desired). If cheese crispies are your thing, uncover and broil for the last 30 seconds.
FAQ's:
- How long will this keep? Is it good for meal prep?
- This pasta bake will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It's absolutely a great option for meal prep!
- To freeze, package in an air tight container and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- How to reheat?
- To reheat the pasta bake in it's original pan, remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes ahead of baking. Preheat the oven to 350°. Cover with aluminum foil, bake for 15 - 20 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes.
- Can I substitute the meatballs for ground beef (or another type of protein)?
- Absolutely! This pasta is incredibly easy to customize. If you are substituting with a ground protein like ground turkey or sausage (or a protein you intend to cook ahead of time, i.e. chicken) cook that protein separately, combine the sauce mixture, cooked pasta, and your cooked ground protein and bake for 20 minutes.
- Can I add vegetables to this dish?
- Yes! Add diced onions to the sauce, chopped zucchini, eggplant, or chopped bell peppers when you add the pasta!
- What to serve with the Meatball and Rigatoni Bake?
- I enjoy a simple salad or a soft rosemary bread with this dish! Grilled asparagus, broccoli, or zucchini would be lovely as well!
This Easy Meatball Rigatoni Bake (made with frozen meatballs) is the perfect dish to make for your family to get them through the week! Try it this week!
Looking for more easy weeknight dinners? Try these others from the blog:
- Shepherd's Pie
- One-Pot Classic American Goulash
- Hummus Baked Chicken Breast with Mediterranean Couscous Salad
I hope you enjoyed this Meatball and Rigatoni Bake recipe! If you try it, please don't forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! We'd love to hear about your experience making it! Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram (@atoastedcrumb) so we can repost it to stories!
Easy Meatball and Rigatoni Bake (with Frozen Meatballs)
Baked meatballs, rigatoni, spaghetti sauce, and melty cheese come together to make the easiest weeknight family dinner.
Equipment
- 1 9x13 casserole pan
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 16 oz dry rigatoni pasta
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 lb frozen meatballs
- 24 oz marinara (or other desired spaghetti sauce)
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup pasta water
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper plus more for garnishing
- 3 tablespoon freeze dried basil divided
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° and cook the pasta to al dente in salted water.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, ¼ cup of pasta water, ⅓ cup of heavy cream, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, and 2 tablespoon of freeze dried basil.
- Pour frozen meatballs and sauce mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
- When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to meatballs and sauce. Stir.
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta, 1 tablespoon freeze dried basil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Add dollops of ricotta all over the surface of the pasta.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta, cover with aluminum foil again (spray the foil with cooking spray), and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil, garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper if desired, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 627kcalCarbohydrates: 65gProtein: 29gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 1543mgPotassium: 824mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 960IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 188mgIron: 5mg
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