Rigatoni Bolognese
Rigatoni bolognese is a classic Italian dish that consists of rigatoni pasta, a rich tomato sauce made from beef, onions and garlic, carrots, celery, parsley, and olive oil, and topped with Parmesan cheese. The rigatoni is cooked in the sauce until everything is nicely blended together. It has all the flavors of Italy in one dish – savory meat and tomatoes with fresh herbs and sharp Parmesan cheese.
This flavorful dish can be enjoyed as a main course or as part of a larger spread of dishes at dinner parties like Chicken Riggies or even Instant Pot Penne Alla Vodka. You can them make it ahead of time so you don’t have to worry about last-minute prep work when entertaining guests.
Rigatoni bolognese also makes an excellent choice for school lunches or quick dinners during busy weeks. With its robust flavor and easy preparation process, it’s no wonder that this traditional Italian dish has become so popular!
What you’ll love about this Rigatoni recipe:
Ingredients for Rigatoni Bolognese
- 16 Ounces Rigatoni
- ½ Reserved Pasta Water
- 1 Pound Ground Beef (80/20)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, Minced or Grated
- 1 Cup Finely Diced Celery
- 1 Cup Finely Shredded Carrot
- 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Grated
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Beef Stock
- 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 28 Ounce Can Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan
- Fresh Basil or Parsley for Garnish
- Grated Parmesan for Topping
Bolognese Rigatoni Recipes
- Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions for al dente and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Brown the ground beef in a large saute pan heated over medium-high. Break up using a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until heated through and longer pink.
- Transfer the browned beef to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and add in the onion, carrot, and celery.
- Cook, stirring frequently for 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, oregano, fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the beef stock and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and san marzano tomatoes, and break up the tomatoes using a wooden spoon or potato masher.
- Add in the browned beef and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low, simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Add in the cooked rigatoni and 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water or more as needed.
- Top with more parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
cook-ground-beef 
add-carrots-garlic-onions-to-pan 
Add Tomato Sauce 
add-ground-beef back to pan 
simmer-bolognese 
Add Rigatoni to the bolognese
Tips & Tricks
- You can replace the 2 tablespoons of fresh basil with 1 teaspoon of dried basil.
- Salt your pasta water for a more flavorful dish.
- Save time by pulsing the celery, carrot, and onion in a food processor until roughly chopped.
- You can replace the beef stock with red wine such as a cabernet or pinot grigio
- Remember to taste the sauce as you go and season it to your taste with salt and pepper.
FAQs
More Recipes
Rigatoni Bolognese
Rigatoni bolognese is a classic Italian dish that consists of rigatoni pasta, a rich tomato sauce made from beef, onions and garlic, carrots, celery, parsley, and olive oil, and topped with Parmesan cheese. The rigatoni is cooked in the sauce until everything is nicely blended together. It has all the flavors of Italy in one dish – savory meat and tomatoes with fresh herbs and sharp Parmesan cheese
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Rigatoni
- ½ Reserved Pasta Water
- 1 Pound Ground Beef (80/20)
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, Minced or Grated
- 1 Cup Finely Diced Celery
- 1 Cup Finely Shredded Carrot
- 5 Cloves Garlic, Minced or Grated
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Beef Stock
- 28 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
- 28 Ounce Can Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan
- Fresh Basil or Parsley for Garnish
- Grated Parmesan for Topping
Instructions
- Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions for al dente and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Brown the ground beef in a large saute pan heated over medium-high. Break up using a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook until heated through and longer pink.
- Transfer the browned beef to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and add in the onion, carrot, and celery.
- Cook, stirring frequently for 5-6 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, oregano, fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the beef stock and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and san marzano tomatoes, and break up the tomatoes using a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add in the browned beef and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Stir and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low, simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Add in the cooked rigatoni and 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water or more as needed.
- Top with more parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can replace the 2 tablespoons of fresh basil with 1 teaspoon of dried basil.
- Salt your pasta water for a more flavorful dish.
- Save time by pulsing the celery, carrot, and onion in a food processor until roughly chopped.
- You can replace the beef stock with red wine such as a cabernet or pinot grigio
- Remember to taste the sauce as you go and season it to your taste with salt and pepper
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 370Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 711mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 25g
