Baked Rigatoni

Baked rigatoni is one of those dinners that’s a go-to if I need a meal to stretch out over multiple days. Last week Bookworm has piano lessons on Tuesday and his Band Concert on Wednesday. That’s two days I need to be out of the house and back downtown no sooner than the boys got off the bus. This meal is perfect to throw together during the day while they’re at school {or during the weekend if you’re out of the house too} and then just reheat when it’s needed.

Since I didn’t have any ricotta on hand, I whipped up a quick bechamel cheese sauce to help give it a creamy consistency. I also left the beef on the large end while I was browning it so that there were larger chunks of meat in there; Monkey loves it when there’s items resembling meat balls in his dinner. This was delicious as it was, but I think next time I may add in some diced tomatoes I canned over the summer. I like sneaking healthy things into the kids meals without them even knowing!

What makes this even better is that it can go based on what you have on hand!

Don’t have ricotta and you don’t want to make a bechamel cheese sauce? Then don’t! Just leave it as beef, sauce, rigatoni, and top with mozarella! I’ve made it this way multiple times, and the kids eat it up regardless!

Don’t have beef and spaghetti sauce, but you have chicken and alfredo? And some spinach you say? Well, by all means! Chicken & Spinach Alfredo Rigatoni!

It’s completely adaptable to what you have on hand. Keep it as simple as possible! And trust me when I say, it’ll be eaten up just as easily!

Ingredients:

1 box Rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 pound ground beef
2 cups spaghetti sauce {I use seasoned tomato sauce I made during the summer, but you could use a jar of store bought}
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
**Optional: for the bechemel sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cook rigatoni until just shy of al dente, about 10 minutes.
While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and beef. Cook until beef is browned and cooked through. Drain the fat, if necessary.
Add spaghetti sauce, turn heat to low allow to warm slowly until the sauce is bubbly.
If making a bechemel sauce — melt butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add flour, and whisk until smooth and thickened. Add in Parmesan cheese, whisking until combined.
When pasta is done, drain. Carefully add the rigatoni to the meat sauce, stirring until combined.
Layer half of pasta mixture to your 9 x 13 baking dish, then the bechemel sauce {if using}, then half the Mozarella cheese. Repeat pasta layer and top with the remaining mozarella.
**NOTE** If you’re not using the bechemel sauce, just pour the pasta into the 9 x 13 baking dish and top with mozarella.
Cover with foil. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Serves: 8 – 10