Rigatoni with Meatballs Pasta Bake

This baked Rigatoni with Meatballs is always a favorite and perfect to service dinner guests. Soft and savory meatballs are so good they melt in your mouth. This is a comforting, rich baked Italian meal. Meatball Rigatoni combines juicy chicken meatballs with rigatoni in a simple tomato sauce smothered with cheese.

 Rigatoni with Meatballs Pasta Bake

  Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2/3 cup evaporated milk (one small can)

3 slices of white bread, crusts removed

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of flour

1/3 cup olive oil

 

Heat the milk in a small pot until steamy but not boiling. Turn off the heat, tear the bread into little pieces and soak it in the milk. Mash the mixture until you get something that resembles mashed potatoes. Remove from pot and let it cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, eggs, salt, parsley, oregano, black pepper, garlic cloves and the bread-milk mixture. Mix it well but gently with your hands.  You want it to stay lose and not pack it tight. 

Make meatballs with your hands.  I make mine about 4 inches across for this recipe. But you can make whatever size you like. Add the flour to a shallow bowl and roll each meatball in it to give a light coating.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides.  They will not be cooked all the way through at this stage but will finish cooking in the sauce.

 In the meantime, boil your pasta according to package directions and drain well.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toss noodles with your favorite sauce and pour in a 9 x 13 baking dish. After browning the meatballs, lay them in the sauce and turn them to coat on all sides.  Top with Parmesan Cheese and Mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

 Garnish with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread for dipping!  Oh Yum.

Notes

Feel free to use your favorite tomato sauce.

You can use whatever pasta you like but I do think the bigger pastas work best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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