This Rigatoni Bolognese recipe is savory and full of flavor. These tubular noodles pick up the delicious meat sauce perfectly, and it’s all finished off with fresh Parmesan cheese.
If you love this recipe, you should try our Pasta Pomodoro and Garlic Cheese Bread.
Table Of Contents
The Tastiest Rigatoni Bolognese
This recipe for Rigatoni Bolognese is scrumptious comfort food. Al dente rigatoni tossed in a fragrant meat sauce made with ground beef, each bite will warm you from the inside out. This dish has tons of flavor thanks to the sauteed garlic and onion, fine bits of celery and carrot, and sweet tomatoes. The sauce has milk and white wine in it, which enhances the flavor and adds a touch of creaminess. This recipe is so satisfying and tasty, you have got to try it!
What you’ll need
- Oil: Olive oil is my go-to oil.
- Vegetables: Garlic, yellow onion, Carrot, Celery, and
- Beef: Ground beef
- Sauce: Milk, White wine, Crushed or Diced San Marzano tomatoes, Dried oregano, Salt, Pepper, Parmesan cheese,
- Pasta: Rigatoni is preferred, but any other bite-size pasta works.
How to Make Rigatoni Bolognese
- Saute the vegetables. Add the olive to a large skillet and place it over medium-high heat. Then add the minced garlic and onion, chopped celery, and minced carrot. Stir.
- Add the beef. Turn the heat up to high and add the ground beef. Stir frequently to make sure the beef gets fully cooked, with no pink showing.
- Pour the milk and white wine in. Now add in the milk and let it come to a simmer. Then pour the white wine into the sauce.
- Add the tomatoes. Add the San Marzano tomatoes into the bolognese sauce and bring it to a simmer again.
- Season the sauce. Sprinkle the oregano, salt, and pepper into the sauce and stir.
- Combine the sauce and rigatoni. Turn the heat off on the sauce and add the cooked rigatoni pasta. Then add in the grated Parmesan cheese. Stir and serve.
Variations on this Rigatoni Bolognese
- Change the meat in the bolognese sauce- This sauce can also be made with ground pork, chicken, or a mixture of them both. Or you could add sliced sausage, meatballs, bacon, or chicken to it.
- Add some vegetables- If you want, you could add some spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, or red peppers to the dish to make it more veggie-friendly.
- Try a different pasta. I love rigatoni because it picks up the bolognese sauce so well, but you could really use any type that you like, such as linguine, penne, or rotini.
What to Serve this dish with
This Rigatoni Bolognese goes really well with some Garlic Cheese Bread. If you prefer a nice crisp salad, then try this Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad or Spinach Pomegranate Salad. Easy Antipasto Salad (low carb) is a great starter before the rigatoni, and you can finish the meal with a slice of Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO) or maybe this Zeppole Recipe. Yum!
How to Store and Reheat
To store this Rigatoni Bolognese separately, place the pasta in a ziplock bag after tossing it with a little olive oil to combat sticking. Then put the bolognese sauce in an airtight container. Both can stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just combine and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Can you freeze this sauce?
Yes, you can freeze it. Place the bolognese sauce in an airtight container or freezer ziplock bag with as much air squeezed out as possible. Then lay it flat to freeze. It can be stored vertically to save room after that, lasting for 3 months. To thaw, place the sauce in the fridge overnight and then heat as normal with cooked pasta.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes!
- Creamy Tomato and Mushroom Rotini Pasta
- Shrimp Alfredo Pasta
- Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe
- Easy Penne Alla Vodka
- One-Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Full Recipe Instructions
Rigatoni Bolognese Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small yellow onion finely minced
- 1 small carrot finely minced
- 1/4 cup celery finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 28 oz can crushed or diced San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb Rigatoni
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Bring the medium-high heat, then add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 small minced yellow onion, 1/4 chi finely chopped celery and 1 small minced carrot.
- Bring the heat to high and add 1 pound of ground beef. Stir frequently to ensure that the beef gets fully cooked.
- Now add 1/4 cup milk and let us come to a simmer. Then pour in 1/4 cup white wine.
- Next, add 1 (28 oz) can crushed or diced san Marzano tomatoes and let the bolognese sauce come to a simmer again.
- Now season the sauce with 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano and Salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn the heat off and add 1 lb cooked Rigatoni pasta and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Change the meat in the bolognese sauce- This sauce can also be made with ground pork, chicken, or a mixture of them both. Or you could add sliced sausage, meatballs, bacon, or chicken to it.
- Add some vegetables- If you want, you could add some spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, or red peppers to the dish to make it more veggie-friendly.
- Try a different pasta. I love rigatoni because it picks up the bolognese sauce so well, but you could really use any type that you like, such as linguine, penne, or rotini.
Nutrition
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Allison says
This recipe is delicious except for it needed more seasoning imo so I added additional Italian seasoning and garlic salt. I also added extra carrots, mushrooms, and zucchini just because I love all the extra veggies and only used half the amount of pasta.
Dina says
Hi Allison, thank you for the feedback! I’m gLad you enjoyed the recipe with the adjustments 🙂