Vertical Rigatoni Bake

✨ Introduction

🧂 Ingredients

• 🍝 500g rigatoni pasta (cooked al dente)
• 🥩 300g ground beef or turkey
• 🧅 1 small onion (diced)
• 🧄 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 🍅 1 cup tomato sauce
• 🧀 2 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella + cheddar)
• 🥛 ½ cup béchamel or cream (optional)
• 🌿 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 🧂 Salt and black pepper to taste
• 🛢️ Olive oil for sautéing

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 🔥 Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a deep baking dish.
2. 🥘 Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add ground meat and cook until browned. Stir in tomato sauce and season.
3. 🍝 Stand cooked rigatoni vertically in the dish, filling the entire base.
4. 🥩 Spoon meat sauce over pasta, letting it seep into the tubes.
5. 🧀 Pour béchamel or cream over top (optional). Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
6. ⏳ Bake for 25–30 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
7. 🌿 Garnish with parsley. Let cool slightly before slicing into squares.

🔄 Methods