Pasta Pie

A structured, sliceable pasta dish made with rigatoni packed upright in a springform pan, filled with hearty meat sauce, and topped with bubbly, golden mozzarella. This pasta pie holds its shape beautifully, delivering balanced bites of pasta, sauce, and cheese in every slice. Perfect for a fun twist on pasta night.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Pasta Pie

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Resting 15

Total Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 405kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

large pot For cooking the pasta.
Colander For draining the pasta.
nonstick skillet For cooking the meat and combing the sauce.
measuring cups and spoons For accurate ingredient measurement.
mixing bowls For combing ingredients.
springform pan 9" For baking the pasta pie.
Knife For unmolding the baked pasta pie.
skewer or straw. For pushing the meat sauce into the rigatoni tubes.

Ingredients

1 lb. rigatoni pasta (look for a large tube version)
2 tbsps. olive oil divided
1 lb. ground beef 93% lean
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (grate yourself off the block)
butter for greasing the pan
8 oz. whole milk mozzarella cheese (grate yourself)

Instructions

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta until slightly underdone (al dente) (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water—make sure you're using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn’t stick together. When done, rinse with cold water and drain again. Toss the pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat, then set aside.
1 lb. rigatoni pasta, 2 tbsps. olive oil
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes more.
1 lb. ground beef, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. table salt, 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
Toss the pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and tightly pack the pasta into the pan, standing each piece on end. Spread the meat sauce on top of the pasta.
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, butter
Use a skewer to push the meat sauce down into the standing rigatoni. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but any extra effort here will pay off with every bite packed with pasta and sauce. If some pasta stays empty, don’t worry—it’ll still taste great.
Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen, then unmold.
8 oz. whole milk mozzarella cheese
Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce.

Video

Notes

For optimal outcomes when making this pasta pie, I recommend referring to the recipe details within the post. The recipe post commonly includes valuable notes, expert tips and frequently asked questions, that are not presented in the recipe card, often including how to make this recipe dairy-free, gluten free or vegan and ideas for healthy ingredient substitutions or variations.

The provided nutrition information is merely an approximation, as variations can arise depending on the specific ingredients/brands you select.

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Nutrition