This recipe is simple yet manages to satisfy thanks to the presence of rigatoni pasta, sausage sauce, and cheese. Prepare and put away for storage a batch of ground beef that has been frozen. This is easy to bake that may be prepared with almost any kind of pasta, nearly any form of sauce, virtually any kind of protein or vegetable, or even with nothing at all. This particular pasta meal has rigatoni that is cooked to the ideal texture of al dente, a meat sauce that is flavorful and tomato-based, and enough amount of cheese to go around. Despite the unjustified negative image that they have earned, casseroles are, in my opinion, a busy mother's best friend. All of your nutritional needs are met in a single, time-saving serving: protein, vegetables, dairy, and carbs. Blending and straining food is a terrific technique to convince finicky eaters to try new flavors and textures, especially if you mix the food beforehand. 
You may make it in advance, store it in the refrigerator or freezer, and then all you have to do to reheat it is put it in the oven when you are ready to eat. A pleasure to savor both for its straightforwardness and its taste. This cake, created with rigatoni and mincemeat, is easy to store, as are the majority of meals made with mincemeat. Simply double-wrap the food in plastic and then foil (to prevent freezer burn), label it, and place it in the freezer. This will keep the food fresh for as long as possible. After all of the components have been put together, bake the dish for fifty to sixty minutes at a temperature of three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit while gently covering it with foil (this may take up to 90 minutes, but to be the sure watch). If the item you want to bake can't go in the oven, you should let it sit out on the counter for at least two hours before putting it in the oven. To prepare this rigatoni pasta in advance, you just need to get it to the stage where it has to be cooked. It is best to use a plastic bag, foil, or the lid of the baking dish if any of these options snugly fit within the dish. After storing the pasta in the refrigerator for up to three days, prepare it as you normally would by pouring a half cup of water over it. Because pasta tends to acquire more moisture as it is stored in the refrigerator, I make sure to drain out some of the extra water before placing it in the cold storage compartment. The addition of water to a meal followed by covering it in order to provide a moist environment for the pasta and sauce results in the pasta not being as watery as you may anticipate it to be. Simply swap out the cheese with a dairy-free substitute or leave it out entirely in order to make this spaghetti suitable for vegans and vegetarians alike. In any other case, be sure to carefully stick to the recipe while also ensuring that all of the other components are correct. If you want to make this pasta gluten-free, all you have to do is swap out the rigatoni with gluten-free penne or rigatoni and make sure that the rest of the ingredients are appropriate. 
You may make this recipe with a larger percentage of vegetables by increasing the number of vegetables that are cooked in the gravy while the dish is being prepared. This recipe would be much better if it had ingredients such as mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, and even carrots that had been shredded. You may use ground turkey sausage or ground Italian turkey for the ground beef, and you can use low-fat cheese in place of the regular sort of cheese. Be on the lookout for spaghetti sauces that do not include any added sugar and employ basic, easily recognizable components. In a large saucepan set over medium heat, the ground beef and onion should be cooked together until the meat is browned and the onions are soft. Collect the fluids that are leaking and dispose of them. Cook for one minute while adding Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper to the pan. After adding the spaghetti sauce, the mixture should be cooked for five minutes over low heat with frequent tossing. After that, it may be removed from the heat and set aside. While you wait for it to happen, have a large pot of salted water boiling over high heat. Rigatoni should be cooked until it reaches the "al dente" stage, after which the heat should be turned up to medium-high (it will continue to cook in the oven for a bit). While the pasta is draining, set aside a half cup of the cooking liquid in a separate container. Mix the beef sauce with the water from the pasta that you left aside earlier. Cook the pasta together with the sauce by combining the two in the same pot. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish or another dish of a comparable size that has been greased. After wrapping in foil that has been gently greased, place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, or until the whole thing is hot. You may keep this covered and in the refrigerator for up to two days. Place in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the food is well warmed. After you have placed the cheese on top, place the cover back on the pan. Bake for a further ten minutes, or until the cheese becomes a golden color, whichever happens first. 
Rigatoni Pasta Recipe
This rigatoni dish begins with spaghetti that has been blended with a meat sauce. Next, it is covered with cheese and baked in the oven until the cheese has melted and the pasta has attained the amount of hardness that is required to bake. Simple food can be prepared in a short amount of time, and can quickly be multiplied to serve a large number of people. I often prepare a sizeable quantity of rigatoni pasta when I have the responsibility of feeding a big number of people. It is simple to prepare, can be enjoyed by people of all ages, and may be modified to suit the tastes of a variety of individuals. Rigatoni is a kind of tube-shaped pasta that is characterized by ridges that run circumferentially around the exterior. Because of these ridges, it is much simpler for the sauce to adhere to the pasta. After being cooked, rigatoni develops into a beautiful pasta that tastes wonderful when coupled with richer sauces such as cream and tomato. You may use penne as an alternative to rigatoni in this recipe if you live in an area where rigatoni is not readily available. The ground beef and Italian sausage should be browned in a pan over medium heat until the pink color has been removed from the meat. The rigatoni should then be stirred in, and the dish should be cooked over low heat until it achieves the required level of firmness. Before continuing, check that the meat has been sliced into easily chewable pieces. Put one onion in the pan, and while it's cooking, cut down on its size so that the onion may cook down and become a tenderer. Before adding the tomatoes and marinara to the pan, it's a good idea to cook some garlic in the pan beforehand. Some of the rigatoni that has already been cooked may be incorporated into the sauce as it continues to boil and thicken. After the pasta and sauce have finished cooking, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top of the dish. Put the dish in the oven and cook it for a few minutes, checking to see whether the cheese has melted and become a nice golden color. 
Just before it's time to serve, sprinkle some chopped parsley that has been set aside for the garnish on top of the spaghetti. Shredding the mozzarella is a step that is highly recommended. Do not use pre-grated cheese since it has been treated with a chemical to keep it from caking, and as a result, it will not melt properly if you try to use it to make melted cheese. Make sure to use a premium marinara sauce. The flavor of Newman's Own is pleasing to my taste buds, and I highly recommend it. The ground beef that I use is flavorful without being greasy and this is because it includes ninety percent lean meat. You have up to six hours before you want to start preparing this dinner before you can begin putting together the components of the dish. Until you are ready to bake it, store it in the refrigerator where it will remain. If you are beginning with a cold supper, you will probably want to lengthen the overall amount of time spent cooking by a few minutes. This will allow the food to come to a temperature more quickly. In the vast majority of instances, I make it a point to carry out each step in accordance with the instructions precisely as they are stated. On the other hand, the recipe may be altered to match an individual's own tastes and preferences in food. Meat: In place of the ground beef and Italian sausage called for in this recipe, you may use shredded cooked chicken, cooked turkey sausage, or ground turkey. After the veggies have reached their final stage of preparation, sauté a selection of them, such as mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, or bell peppers, and then add them to the sauce. This recipe takes on a whole different taste profile whenever artichoke hearts, olives, or sun-dried tomatoes are included in it. Cheese Instead of mozzarella, you might try using any other cheese that melts beautifully, such as provolone or Fontina. It will function in the same way. Ricotta cheese may be used to create a layer in the center of the dish if one so desired. 
This meal may be stored in the freezer for up to a few months at a time without losing any of its flavors. Wrap the plate with aluminum foil first, then cover it with plastic wrap, and make it as airtight as you can by attempting to seal it with both of those materials. Either heating the food from frozen or cooking it immediately from the freezer is both acceptable methods for the preparation of dinner. If you are starting with frozen ingredients, you will need to increase the total amount of cooking time by 20 to 30 minutes. Despite how simple it is to prepare, this dinner will leave an impression on your guests. If you need some home cooking to ease your aching bones, give this meal a try the next time you find yourself in a situation in which you need such comfort food. Raise the temperature in the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Apply nonstick spray to the bottom and sides of a baking dish that measures 9 by 13 inches. The oil should be heated to the appropriate temperature in a big skillet at a heat setting of the medium. In a pan, brown some sausage links in addition to the ground beef. Salt and pepper should be used to season the meat according to personal preference. In the microwave, the meat will reach a temperature at which it can be readily disintegrated with a spoon in just three to four minutes. This temperature is ideal for making meatballs. Cooking the onion in the pan is the first step in preparing it. After another 5 minutes of cooking, the beef should have a browned surface and be thoroughly cooked, while the onion should have reached a level of softness. Both should have achieved the desired results. Following the addition of the garlic and the maintenance of the heat for an additional thirty seconds, an adequate quantity of tomato sauce and marinara should be brought to a boil in a large pot. If it has to be thickened, give it five minutes over low heat to get the desired consistency. 
After the rigatoni has been cooked, the sauce should be served on top of it by pouring it on. After the pan has been cooked, the spaghetti sauce should be transferred to it, and then mozzarella cheese should be sprinkled on top. Cover the dish and bake it for twenty minutes; then remove the cover and continue baking for another fifteen to twenty minutes, or until the pasta is boiling and the cheese has melted and browned. The recipe would be improved by the addition of some chopped parsley. After you have attended to it for the following five minutes, serve the meal.