Million Dollar Baked Rigatoni Recipe – the ultimate baked pasta. Effortless to make and packed full of tons of flavor! Rigatoni, Italian sausage, marinara sauce, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Comfort food at its best. Serve with a salad and garlic bread for a meal better than any restaurant.

plate of baked rigatoni pasta with salad and garlic bread with text overlay

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Easy Baked Pasta Casserole

This Million Dollar Baked Rigatoni is the ultimate baked pasta! Rigatoni in meat sauce topped with sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. SO much cheesy goodness! All you need is a salad and some garlic bread. I made this for dinner last week and the whole family gobbled it up! I will take this meal over a restaurant any day of the week. You must give this a try!

How to Make Million Dollar Baked Rigatoni

This baked pasta is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add rigatoni pasta and kosher salt to the pot. Cook according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook Italian sausage over medium heat until no longer pink and crumbled. Drain excess grease. Add marinara sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Toss cooked pasta with meat sauce. Spread pasta mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, mozzarella cheese, and parsley. Spread cheese mixture over pasta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until bubbly. Garnish with parsley or fresh basil.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

Can substitute ground beef or ground turkey.
Make sure to use room temperature cream cheese so it gets fully incorporated into the cheese mixture.
- If you are short on time, you can microwave the cream cheese for a few seconds.
What can I add to the casserole? Here are some of our favorite variations:
- onions
- bell peppers
- spinach
- fresh garlic
- red pepper flakes
- mushrooms
- diced tomatoes
I use rigatoni pasta. Rigatoni has ridges on the outside that helps the sauce adhere to the noodles.
- Can substitute penne pasta or ziti pasta.
Can substitute ricotta cheese and provolone cheese.
Our favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Rao’s, Carbone, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
You can use freshly grated parmesan cheese or the cheese in the can.
- Freshly grated cheese will melt better than canned.
Can Baked Rigatoni be made in advance? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
- You will need to add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time if baking cold from the oven.
Can Baked Rigatoni be frozen? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

What to Serve with Baked Rigatoni

This has quickly become one of our favorite pasta recipes! We had this for dinner and reheated the leftovers for lunch. It might be better the next day! Serve this pasta with a green salad and garlic bread. This is equally delicious with our Italian Green Bean Salad or Parmesan Baked Zucchini and Squash. Add this to your menu ASAP! It is sure to become a family favorite!

Looking for more side dish ideas? Here are some popular recipes from the website:

Salads