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Ricotta Stuffed Rigatoni Pie

A slice of stuffed rigatoni pie.
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5 from 4 reviews

Rigatoni Pie is a baked pasta dish that is not only stunning to look at, but also so delicious. Rigatoni pasta is placed vertically in a springform pan, stuffed with an herby ricotta filling, topped with meat sauce, mozzarella cheese and baked to absolute perfection.

Ingredients

For Quick Meat Sauce:

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil + more for greasing the pan
  • ¼ pound ground sausage
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water

For Ricotta Filling:

  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons minced basil or other Italian herbs (or 1 tablespoon dry)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For Assembling:

  • 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • Fresh parmesan, for serving
  • Basil, for Serving

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400ºF and rub olive oil on the bottoms and the side of a 9” springform pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut two long strips of parchment paper slightly taller than the height of the springform pan and line the sides of the springform pan. This makes it easier to unmold the pasta dish at the end, and this step is optional.
  2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Once hot, add ground sausage and beef and cook until no pink remains, about 7 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and tomato pasta. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Then add the tomato sauce, and water to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer, loosely covered, for 15-20 minutes. The sauce should be thickened.
  3. Prepare ricotta mixture: In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper until fully combined. Transfer the filling to a plastic piping bag either with a piping tip smaller than the hole of the rigatoni pasta, or a plastic storage bag with a small hole snipped off of the end. 
  4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Do not add oil. Add rigatoni and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—about 2 minutes less than the package instructions state. Drain the pasta through a colander and rinse with cool water until it is no longer hot.
  5. One by one, stand up the rigatoni pasta in concentric circles in the prepared springform pan. Pack them so that they all stand up vertically on their own but not so tightly that there is no space between them.
  6. Fill each rigatoni tube with just enough ricotta filling to reach the top. Place 1 cup of meat sauce on top, and smooth it over with a spatula so that the sauce fills the gaps in between the rigatoni. Place another 1 cup of meat sauce and smooth it over. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
  7. Lightly oil a piece of aluminum foil, and loosely cover the top of the springform pan.
  8. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden on the outer edges and beginning to darken in spots towards the center. The middle of the rigatoni pie should have reached an internal temperature of at least 165ºF.
  9. Let the pie cool for at least 20-30 minutes before unmolding.
  10. To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the pie. Unsnap the springform pan and carefully remove the sides of the pan. If the rigatoni pie is still steaming hot, wait a bit longer to cut in to keep the pie structure intact.
  11. Slice and serve with warmed additional meat sauce, and garnish the pie with additional parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

Notes

This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by about half for volume, or use the same amount by weight.

If you don't have a piping bag, a plastic storage bag works; just avoid the "easy-fill" kind because you need it to have an actual corner. Fill it, then cut a small corner for piping the ricotta into the rigatoni.

This pie actually tastes better on day 2 or 3, so feel free to make it ahead—up to 2 days in advance—and simply reheat covered with foil in a 350ºF oven until thoroughly warmed through, ensuring it reaches above 135ºF.

Rigatoni pie needs to cool for a minimum of 20 minutes, or 30 if you really want it to stay together for a pretty presentation. This means you won't be serving it when it's steaming, but instead it will be pleasantly warm.

Looking for something else? The article above the recipe is always a great first place to start! This Stuffed Rigatoni Pie recipe was developed with love, and I strive to give as many explanations, tips, step-by-step photos and technical advice as necessary for success.

Find it online: https://everydaypie.com/ricotta-stuffed-rigatoni-pie/