Stuffed Rigatoni Pie

This Stuffed Rigatoni Pie transforms an ordinary pasta comfort dish into a striking meal for family dinner, perfect for company as well. Rigatoni is filled with a ricotta filling and meat sauce, arranged upright with layers of sauce on the top and bottom. They’re topped with fresh mozzarella and baked until bubbly and delicious!

Now that you have a general idea of what a rigatoni pie is, if you are not familiar with it, let’s get into it further! This pasta dish is pure comfort food. It has a creamy ricotta filling, meaty red sauce, salty Parmesan, and mildly sweet mozzarella cheese all baked to perfection. And the vertical presentation of the rigatoni is stunning and unexpected! If you’re entertaining guests, they will be amused and delighted with the twist on a familiar pasta comfort food!

Does it take longer than a typical pasta bake?

As you might expect, it does require a couple of extra steps than a typical baked pasta dish, but the extra time and effort are well worth it for the palate-pleasing results and impressive, fun presentation.

While some rigatoni pie recipes spread the ricotta mixture and sauce over the vertically arranged rigatoni, allowing it to seep down, the rigatoni are sparsely filled once baked. I take the time to individually fill each rigatoni with the ricotta filling and meat sauce. It’s worth the extra time to ensure each rigatoni is sufficiently stuffed, resulting in the perfect filling-to-pasta ratio in every bite. The additional step takes about 10 minutes, but the payoff is enormous.

How to stuff the rigatoni:

• Kitchen funnel—use a funnel with a half-inch or slightly larger opening. Fill the funnel with the ricotta filling or sauce and use a chopstick to push the food through the funnel. To me, this is the easiest way to stuff the rigatoni, and I recommend using this method in the step-by-step instructions below.
• Pastry piping bag—use a pastry bag fitted with a tip that has a half-inch or slightly larger opening, ensuring the tip fits snugly into the rigatoni for piping. Decorating tips similar to R16L, A1, Ateco 808, or Ateco 809 are great options. Piping tips with a 1/2 inch (-ish) diameter allow the meat sauce to pass through without blocking the opening.
  

Ingredients needed:

• Rigatoni—its short, tubular shape and wide opening make it ideal for this baked pasta recipe. Avoid using pasta with a smaller opening, as it makes piping the ricotta and sauce difficult.
• Ricotta—use whole milk for a richer and creamier filling, but you can use part-skim for a lower-fat option.
• Egg—for binding the ricotta mixture.
• Parmesan—freshly grated Parmesan cheese is more flavorful and creamier than the packaged variety.
• Mozzarella—use whole milk for the best flavor and melatability, but you can use part-skim for a reduced-fat option. Again, freshly shredded is best.
• Ground beef—the key to browning it is to chop it finely using a wooden spatula or two spatulas. The finer the ground beef is, the more easily it can be piped into the rigatoni.
• Extra virgin olive oil—for cooking the ground beef and for greasing the springform pan.
• Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce—combining the two sauces provides a more flavorful and textural complexity than using only one type.
• Chopped onion—to add flavor and a touch of sweetness to the sauce.
• Garlic—adds to the flavor profile.
• Pasta water—the starch in the water helps to bring the sauce together, as well as assisting the sauce to cling to the pasta.
• Basil—use fresh or dried. Keep in mind that if you use fresh herbs, you will need to use three times the amount of the dried variety. Feel free to add your favorite herbs.
• Sugar—it adds a touch of sweetness and balances the acidity of the tomato sauce.
• Dry seasonings—salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Recipe highlights:

• Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions, stopping 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain and rinse briefly to slightly cool. Set aside.
• Brown the ground beef with onion and garlic, breaking it up into small chunks using wooden spatulas. Drain any excess grease.
• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta water, and seasonings. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
• Combine ricotta, egg, grated Parmesan, and seasonings in a bowl. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

• Pour some of the meat sauce into a greased 9-inch springform pan.
• Stand the rigatoni upright in the pan, filling it completely.
• Add some of the ricotta mixture into a funnel. Use a chopstick to push the ricotta into each rigatoni, filling it halfway. Continue until all of the rigatoni are filled.
• Add some meat sauce to the funnel. Use a chopstick to push it into each rigatoni to fill it. Continue until all of the rigatoni are filled.
• Spread about 1/3 to 1/2-inch of sauce over the top and gently press it down with a spatula.
• Top with grated Parmesan and mozzarella.
• Wrap the pan in heavy-duty aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Broil on high for a few minutes to slightly brown the top.
• See the recipe card for detailed instructions.

Shortcuts:

• While I provided instructions for making the meat sauce from scratch in this rigatoni pie recipe, feel free to use your favorite store-bought sauce to save time. But do try my sauce! It’s easy, flavorful, and delightful!!
• Chopping the onion and garlic takes only a few minutes, but feel free to use frozen onion and jarred chopped garlic to save on time.
• You can try spreading the ricotta filling over the vertically arranged rigatoni, then spreading and gently pressing it into the pasta. Then do the same with the meat sauce. This might save you time, but the rigatoni won’t be filled uniformly. You will have a lot of meat sauce leftover to serve on the side.

Can this pasta pie be made ahead?

This pasta dish is great to prepare ahead of time. You can assemble the entire pie a day in advance, then wrap it tightly in foil. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. Then just follow the instructions, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time since the dish will be chilled.

How to store and reheat:

Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To freeze, allow the pasta to cool completely. Then wrap the leftovers in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Or store them in an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.

To reheat, remove the foil and place the pasta in a microwave-safe bowl or plate, loosely covered. Microwave until heated through. To reheat in the oven, place on a baking sheet loosely covered and bake at 350° F until heated through. The amount of time depends on the size of your leftover pie.

Pro tips:

• Have the spices pre-measured for both the ground beef and the sauce, allowing you to work quickly and efficiently as you prepare the meat sauce.
• Rinse the pasta briefly to cool it slightly, retaining some of the starch. This helps them to stick together in the springform pan. Avoid washing all of the starch off.
• Using a wide colander like this over the sink colander helps in allowing the pasta to cool quickly and clump together.
• Use freshly grated cheese for the best flavor and meltability.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or are highly rated.)

• 9-inch springform baking pan—I have this pan and love the color. It is a nonstick, heavy-gauge aluminum steel. Its rolled edges feature helps prevent warping.
• Wooden spatulas—they are my go-to utensil for cooking ground beef. This set of two is perfect for the job of finely breaking up the ground beef.
• Pan for cooking the sauce—this 2-quart enamel cast iron braiser is the perfect size for making the sauce.
• Stockpot—for cooking the rigatoni.
• Colander—for rinsing the pasta. I have one similar to this stainless steel expandable over the sink model, and love it.
• A Funnel and a chopstick—are used to help with stuffing the rigatoni.
• A pastry bag along with an R16L, 1A, 808, or 809 piping tip—can be used to stuff the rigatoni instead of a funnel.
• Baking sheet—used for catching any dripping from the sprinform pan. This baking sheet has a PFA-free ceramic nonstick coating. You can also just wrap the entire pan with aluminum foil.
• Box grater—for shredding and grating cheese.
• Silicone spatulas—for mixing and scraping.

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Stuffed Rigatoni Pie

Author: In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Oven Baked/Roasted Stovetop Cooked Cuisine:Italian Courses:Main Pasta

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 20 minutesCook time:1 hour 30 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesServings:6 servings

Description

This Stuffed Rigatoni Pie transforms an ordinary pasta comfort dish into a striking meal for family dinner, perfect for company as well. Rigatoni is filled with a ricotta filling and meat sauce, arranged upright with layers of sauce on the top and bottom. They’re topped with fresh mozzarella and baked until bubbly and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) package rigatoni pasta
• 3/4 pound ground beef, 85% or 93% lean
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup pasta water (from boiling the pasta)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry basil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided (use 1/2 tsp for beef)
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided (use 1/4 tsp for beef)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided (use 1/4 for beef)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder, divided (use 1/4 for beef)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the ricotta filling:

• 1 (15-ounce) tub of whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Cook the pasta: In heavily salted water until just shy of al dente, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta water for the sauce. Drain the pasta, and run under cold water for a brief time to cool slightly. You want to avoid rinsing all of the starch off, because it helps the pasta to stick together in the springform pan. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat, followed by the ground beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon for one minute. Add the onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon each of pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Continue breaking up the ground beef for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to brown, breaking up the meat into small crumbles for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Drain any excess grease. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and the reserved pasta water. Then add 1 1/2 teaspoons basil, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Once the sauce comes to a boil, loosely cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat.
5. Make the ricotta filling: Combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy.
6. Assemble the pie: Grease the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with additional olive oil or cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1/4-inch of the sauce.
7. Stand the rigatoni upright in the pan, avoiding packing them tightly to allow some space for the sauce to run between the pasta.
8. Fill a funnel with some of the ricotta mixture. Use a chopstick to push the cheese into each rigatoni, filling them halfway (about 4 pumps of the chopstick). Continue filling half of each rigatoni with the ricotta mixture. Cover the tip of the funnel with your finger as you move it around to avoid leaking. You may not use all of the ricotta mixture.
9. Rinse the funnel and chopstick. Repeat filling the rigatoni using the meat sauce (make sure it has cooled enough to handle).
10. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2-inch of sauce over the top. Use a spatula to press the sauce into the rigatoni gently. Note: this recipe makes a generous amount of sauce. You might have some leftovers, which you can save to serve with the pie if desired.
11. Combine the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Spread it over the top of the sauce.
12. Place the springform pan over a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil large enough to enclose it. Fold the aluminum foil over the pan and seal all the edges, keeping the foil off the cheese. This method keeps any leaks contained. Alternatively, cover the sprinform pan with aluminum foil, avoiding contact with the cheese. Place it on a baking sheet.
13. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes, then uncover the pie and broil on high for a few minutes to lightly brown the top.
14. Allow the pie to rest for 15 to 30 minutes before serving. It holds together better when it has some time to cool slightly and set. Run a butter knife around the edges before unmolding.
15. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Notes:

• Have the spices pre-measured for both the ground beef and the sauce, allowing you to work quickly and efficiently as you prepare the meat sauce.
• Make sure the funnel has a narrow enough tip to fit into the opening of the rigatoni.
• To use pastry bags and piping tips to fill the rigatoni: Use a piping tip with a 0.5-inch opening or slightly larger. Fill the pastry bag fitted with a piping tip halfway with the ricotta mixture or meat sauce (make sure the sauce has cooled enough to work with). It helps to keep the piping tip pointed upward to prevent content from oozing out while you fill the bag. Secure the top of the bag, then pipe ricotta cheese or sauce into the rigatoni.

Keywords:Stuffed Rigatoni Pie, Pasta Comfort Dish, Comfort Food, Pasta Comfort Food, Baked Pasta Dish, Baked Pasta Recipe, Rigatoni Pie Recipe, Pasta Pie

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