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Baked rigatoni in casserole dish.
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Cream Cheese Baked Rigatoni

Made with ground beef and a doctored up pasta sauce, this baked rigatoni is easy enough for a weeknight but still tastes like you tried! The ingredient list looks a little long, but everything comes together quickly.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 469kcal

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces rigatoni
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 24 ounces marinara
  • 15 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella divided
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions.
  • While the pasta is cooking, add the ground beef, onion, and garlic to a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Once the meat is partially broken up, add the Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and continue cooking.
  • Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables have softened. Add the marinara, crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and cream cheese to the beef mixture and turn the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until the cream cheese has melted into the sauce.
  • Once the pasta is al dente, drain the water and add the pasta to the meat sauce. Stir to coat.
  • Spoon half of the pasta into the baking dish and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Spoon the remaining pasta over the top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
  • Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has melted.
  • Sprinkle with a bit of parsley and serve hot.

Video

Notes

Beef: I like to use 90/10 or 93/7 lean beef. If you're using a fattier beef, you'll want to drain off some of the fat before adding the marinara. 
Pasta: Any small shape of pasta will work well here. I like the way the sauce clings to rigatoni, but use what you have!
Cream Cheese: Feel free to swap with lower fat cream cheese or blended cottage cheese to cut down on the calories. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 1045mg | Potassium: 812mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 868IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 214mg | Iron: 4mg