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This three cheese baked rigatoni is the ultimate comfort food packed with tender pasta, sautéed mushrooms, and onions, all tossed in a rich, creamy cheese sauce and baked to perfection.
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Pin It NowWhy You’ll Love Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni (Easy Pasta Bake Recipe)
When I need a quick and easy weeknight dinner, baked pasta is one of my favorite go-to meals. It’s a fun step up from basic spaghetti, and there are endless ways to customize it – use chicken, ground beef or sausage and toss in veggies like spinach and mushrooms or broccoli.
You can even play around with different cheeses and it is always delicious! Today I’m sharing my newest creation – Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni. It’s creamy, cheesy and has so much flavor. Here’s why you’re going to love it.
- Three melty cheeses – the sauce is to die for!
- Customizable – add chicken or keep it vegetarian. Use whatever cheese you have on hand!
- One-pan option – assuming you have an oven-safe skillet that can transfer from stove to oven
How to make Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni
Here’s a brief overview of how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredient amounts, is in the recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta – don’t forget to salt the water.
- Sauté the veggies – I like to use onion, mushrooms and garlic, use whatever veggies you enjoy.
- Make the sauce – starting with a roux – which is simply a combination of butter and flour that’s used as a thickening agent.
- Add protein (optional) – diced grilled chicken is a delicious way to add protein to this meal!
- Combine and bake – add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to combine. If using an oven safe skillet, top with remaining cheese and bake. If you do not have an oven safe skillet, transfer the pasta to a 9×13 inch baking dish, then top with the reserved cheese and bake.
I used some leftover grilled chicken in this recipe. You can leave the chicken out all together if you want a vegetarian version, or you can also toss in some cooked shredded chicken. Here’s my recipe for Easy Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken that will work perfectly in any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.
What to Serve with Baked Rigatoni
I like to serve this Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni with a salad – Caesar salad is my personal fave, and sometimes I’ll even make my Perfect Cheesy Garlic Bread or Quick and Easy Garlic Bread to go along with it.
This recipe for Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni is everything a comfort food dish should be – cheesy and packed with flavor. It’s a flexible weeknight meal that the whole family will love. Enjoy!
Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk I used 1%
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 8 ounces smoked gouda shredded
- 8 ounces provolone cheese shredded
- grilled chicken diced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Cook 1 pound rigatoni in a large pot of salted water. Boil it for a couple of minutes less than the package directions (you want it al dente). Drain and set aside.
- In a large oven-safe skillet, melt 5 tablespoons of unsalted butter with ½ tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
- Add 1 small diced yellow onion and 8 ounces of sliced fresh mushrooms to the skillet. Sauté for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the onions are translucent.
- Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for another 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle in ¼ cup all-purpose flour, stirring to coat the vegetables. Cook the mixture for 1–2 minutes, whisking constantly.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups of milk (I used 1%), stirring well to avoid clumps. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Lower the heat to low. Reserve about ⅓ of each cheese (mozzarella, gouda, and provolone) for topping. Stir in the remaining 8 ounces mozzarella, 8 ounces smoked gouda, and 8 ounces provolone until melted and creamy.
- If using, stir in 1 to 2 cups of diced grilled chicken.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to the cheese sauce and toss until well coated. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- If your skillet is oven-safe, sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top. If not, transfer the pasta mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish and top with the reserved cheeses.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the pasta rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
