This is one of those easy meals that comes together in under a hour and is made in one skillet.

That’s right, no extra pot to pre-boil the pasta and no additional casserole dish to pour the mixture into.

Therefore, scrumptious meal + less dishes = happiness. Okay, maybe I won’t go that far, but a big, tasty meal while cleaning a few less pots and pans is always a plus!

This rigatoni pasta casserole is so hearty, filling, meaty, vegetable-y and pasta-y!

When making a baked pasta dish, I love to use big noodles with lots of surface area to soak up the delicious sauce; rigatoni is perfect for this, but penne or rotini make excellent substitutions.

This recipe is quite versatile, so you can experiment with different meats and vegetables to find your favourite combination — just be sure to not overfill the skillet as it will bubble up a bit when in the oven.

If you choose to include the red wine, the sauce takes on a fun reddish-purple colour.

This dish also has the super melty mozzarella and crunchy parmesan cheese topping that makes it extra yummy.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Bowls of dry rigatoni, chopped onions and peppers, cheese, crushed tomatoes, and herbs next to ground beef.

All the ingredients you’ll need! Listed below in the “Ingredients” list. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

A cast iron skillet full of sauteed ground beef, chopped onions, and bell peppers.

At medium-high heat, add olive oil, onions, and carrots in a large 12-inch cast iron skillet (or ovenproof pan), stir occasionally until onions are translucent.

Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper for one minute. Add beef and cook until it is brown.

A cast iron skillet full of rigatoni with covered in meat sauce.

Pour in crushed tomatoes, broth, wine, and pasta and toss to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer; stir periodically until pasta is almost al dente.

A cast iron skillet filled with rigatoni covered in meat sauce and topped with mozzarella and parmesan.

Sprinkle parmesan and lay mozzarella on top.

Baked Beef Pasta Casserole with melted cheesy topping and fresh basil in a cast-iron skillet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until pasta is done. Optional step: broil for a few minutes until the cheese is golden-brown. Top with fresh basil.

Plate and enjoy!

A heaping scoop of One-Pot Beef Pasta Casserole on a white plate with fork and knife to its side.

One Skillet Beef Pasta Casserole

Name: One Skillet Beef Pasta Casserole
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 2 medium carrots, diced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp Italian seasoning*; ½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional); Salt and pepper; 1 to 1.5 lb. lean ground beef; 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes; 2 cups chicken broth, low sodium; ½ cup dry red wine (optional)**; 12 oz uncooked dry rigatoni pasta; 5 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced; ¼ cup parmesan, grated; Fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Make this delicious, filling beef and vegetable rigatoni pasta casserole in one skillet! This easy dish makes enough food to feed the entire family.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Italian seasoning*
½ tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 to 1.5 lb. lean ground beef
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth, low sodium
½ cup dry red wine (optional)**
12 oz uncooked dry rigatoni pasta
5 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
¼ cup parmesan, grated
Fresh basil, thinly sliced (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a large high-sided ovenproof pan at medium-high heat, add olive oil, onions, and carrots, and stir occasionally until onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes.
Mix in the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper, stirring for a minute before adding in the beef. Break apart and stir the beef until it is no longer pink, about 4-5 minutes.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, wine, and pasta and toss to combine, making sure the pasta is well coated. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Stir occasionally until the pasta is almost al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Top with mozzarella and parmesan and then bake for another 10-12 minutes until the pasta is ready.
Optional steps: Broil until the cheese is golden brown on top, about 1-3 minutes. Top with fresh basil just prior to serving.
Serve immediately or warm.

Notes

*Use prepared Italian seasoning mix or 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 1 tsp dried rosemary.
**Omit the red wine if you would like and add more chicken broth. You can also replace with 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar for the sweet, acidic flavour.

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12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 629

Joyce

Monday 24th of April 2017

MMM this looks fantastical. I am a happy girl when I have less pots to wash because gosh - there's always SO many dishes to wash -_- haha!

Marie | Yay! For Food

You're so funny! Thanks Joyce!

Yep! I am always complaining about having to clean too many dishes so one-pot meals are amazing!

Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration

Saturday 15th of April 2017

What's not to love about a one skillet meal? Perfect for busy weekdays. I hate dishes, so this one pot meal definitely equals happiness for me. :) Can't wait to try it out!

Sunday 16th of April 2017

Glad you feel that way too! Thanks Alyssa!

romain | glebekitchen

The world needs more baked pasta dishes! Well, I do anyway. Nothing makes me smile like tomato, pasta and melted cheese. Thanks!

It is one of the best combinations! Thanks Romain!

Alison @ The Sunday Glutton

Thursday 13th of April 2017

I love one-pot meals! So easy, and you can just see how the pasta soaks up all that good sauce/wine flavor! This is sure to make it into the rotation in our house...thanks for sharing!

Glad you like the recipe, Alison!

Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

How have I never made pasta in a skillet before? This looks SO freaking good! That melty cheese. . .oh my!

Thanks Kelsie!