Description
A delightful and hearty dish that combines flavorful ground beef and rich cheeses baked into a delicious pasta pie, perfect for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Cheese Filling:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Topping:
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Garnish:
- Fresh chopped basil
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Cook ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned. Remove from pan and drain fat. In the same pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion and garlic. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, ground beef, and herbs. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Make the cheese filling: In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Prepare pasta: Grease an 8-inch springform pan. Cook rigatoni according to package instructions. Drain and fill each rigatoni with ricotta filling using a pastry bag or Ziploc bag. Stand filled rigatoni in the greased springform pan.
- Add sauce and cheese: Pour a few tablespoons of sauce over the filled pasta. Push sauce around to fill in gaps. Pour another cup of sauce over pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Loosely cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is cooked through. Broil for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool: Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before removing springform sides.
- Serve: Slice and garnish with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Serve with remaining sauce.
Notes
- For a vegetarian option, substitute ground beef with sautéed vegetables.
- Allow the Pasta Pie to rest for 15 minutes for easier slicing.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hr
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg