One-Pan Beef Tomato Rigatoni

This is the kind of pasta dinner that makes everyone suddenly appear in the kitchen asking:

“Wait… what smells THAT good?” 😂

This One Pan Beef Tomato Rigatoni is loaded with juicy beef, blistered tomatoes, garlic, melty mozzarella, and rigatoni tossed together in one ridiculously comforting pan of pasta.

Big flavor.
Creamy cheese pulls.
Rich tomato sauce.
Minimal cleanup.

Exactly the kind of dinner we keep on repeat over here.

And honestly?
The best dinners are usually the simplest ones.

Just brown the beef, let the tomatoes cook down into the sauce, toss in the pasta and mozzarella, and suddenly you’ve got something that tastes like a cozy Italian restaurant dinner without spending hours in the kitchen.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pan comfort food
• Easy weeknight dinner
• Family approved
• Rich tomato flavor
• Cheesy and satisfying
• Great leftovers
• Minimal cleanup

Rigatoni works especially well for hearty meat sauces because the ridges and large tube shape help trap the sauce and melted cheese in every bite.

The Secret to Making It Taste So Good

Letting the beef brown undisturbed for a few minutes before breaking it apart makes a HUGE difference.

That deep browning adds way more flavor to the sauce.

Then once the tomatoes soften and get mashed into the pan with the garlic and tomato paste, everything starts turning into this rich, savory, cheesy pasta situation that honestly tastes way harder than it actually is.

The mozzarella melts right into the sauce and helps everything cling perfectly to the rigatoni.

What to Serve With It

We usually serve this with:

• garlic bread
• Caesar salad
• roasted veggies
• or honestly just eat giant bowls of it straight from the pan

A little Parmesan and fresh parsley on top takes it over the edge too.

And if you like heat, chili flakes or hot honey are ridiculously good on this.

One-Pan Beef Tomato Rigatoni

A hearty one-pan rigatoni pasta loaded with juicy beef, blistered tomatoes, garlic, and melty mozzarella cheese. Easy, cheesy comfort food perfect for busy weeknights.

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Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 5 tomato
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 bunch mozzarella
• 4 clove garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 box rigatoni
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb ground beef (I prefer 90/10)
• 1 red onion
• 1 pinch salt

Equipment

• Large pot
• Large skillet or sauté pan
• Wooden spoon

Method

 

Cook the pasta

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.

Sauté the vegetables

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes cut side down along with diced onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.

Brown the beef

1. Add the ground beef and press it flat into the pan. Let it cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes to develop a deep brown crust.

Build the sauce

1. Break apart the beef and mash the softened tomatoes. Stir in oregano, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.

Add the cheese

1. Add mozzarella along with a splash of reserved pasta water. Stir until creamy and melted.

Toss everything together

1. Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet and toss until fully coated in the sauce.

Serve

1. Top with Parmesan cheese, parsley, or chili flakes if desired. Serve hot.

Video

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWtsfMxEYTv/

Notes

Reserve at least ½ cup pasta water before draining.
Fresh mozzarella melts best when torn into small pieces.
You can top with Parmesan, parsley, chili flakes, or hot honey.
This tastes even better the next day.