Rigatoni with Meat Sauce

Name: Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1.6 lb rigatoni pasta; 1.6 lb ground beef (80/20); 3/4 lb ground pork; 2 cans crushed tomatoes; 2.6 tbsp tomato paste; 3/4 whole yellow onion; 5 cloves garlic cloves; 3/4 cup dry red wine; 1 3/4 tsp dried oregano; 3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Slow-simmered beef and pork ragù over rigatoni for ten

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 60 min
Serves 8
Difficulty: easy

Ground beef and pork simmer with onion, garlic, and crushed tomatoes until thick and rich. Toss with rigatoni and finish with Parmesan for a proper Italian-American hall feed.

Why crews like it: Meat sauce is the pasta baseline everyone recognizes. It scales cheap, simmers while you handle other duties, and holds hot in a baking dish for late eaters.

540Cal

36gProtein

56gCarbs

20gFat

Ingredients

1.6 lb rigatoni pasta
1.6 lb ground beef (80/20)
3/4 lb ground pork
2 cans crushed tomatoes
2.6 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 whole yellow onion
5 cloves garlic cloves
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

Brown the meats: Cook beef and pork with onion over medium-high heat 12–15 minutes, breaking into crumbles until well browned. Drain excess fat.
Build the sauce: Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 2 minutes. Pour in wine and simmer until mostly reduced, about 4 minutes.
Simmer low: Add crushed tomatoes and oregano. Simmer uncovered 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and oil pools at edges.
Cook rigatoni: Boil rigatoni in salted water until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain and toss with a cup of sauce.
Serve family-style: Portion pasta into bowls or baking dish, top with remaining sauce and Parmesan. Serve with extra cheese at the line.

Tonight's spread

Rigatoni with meat sauce, garlic bread, and simple green salad.
Roasted zucchini on the side for crew who want vegetables.

Hall tips

A parmesan rind simmered in the sauce adds savory depth—fish it out before serving.
Red pepper flake pinch in the browning stage wakes up canned tomatoes.
Double the batch and freeze half sauce for an emergency pasta night.

Meal prep

Simmer sauce at least 45 minutes for depth—longer is better. Salt pasta water heavily. Sauce and pasta can stay separate until service if holding.

Leftovers

Bake into a pasta casserole with extra mozzarella on top.
Stuff into hoagie rolls with melted provolone for meatball-less subs.

Large Dutch oven
Stock pot
Wooden spoon
Ladle
Colander