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Home / Recipes / Dinner / One Pot / One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese

One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese

30 mins
| 44 Comments |
4.79 from 95 votes
Jump to Recipe 12/14/20 | Updated: 01/09/22 | by Nora
One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese Pin 1

Make dinner time quick and easy with this One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese! Everything cooks in one pot – even the pasta cooks right in the sauce!

white bowl with rigatoni bolognese

One pot pasta recipes are always my go-to on those absolutely crazy days, and dinner prep is incredibly quick and easy with this One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese, which is what I always go for when I don’t feel like hauling out the Instant Pot to make Instant Pot “Baked Ziti”.

Everything cooks in one pot for quick prep and easy clean up – even the pasta cooks right in the sauce. Some call me a lazy cook, but I like to call myself efficient.

Just a side note: I’m well aware that a real Bolognese sauce simmers for hours to get the perfect flavor. But calling this quick and easy weeknight dinner Bolognese makes it sound like so much more effort, and sometimes a haggard mother needs to feel special, too 😉

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

ingredients for Rigatoni Bolognese with text labels
Ingredients for Rigatoni Bolognese: Ground beef, carrot, onion, celery, rigatoni, beef broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and oil.

Ingredient notes

  • Ground beef: I always use lean ground beef for this, but you can use ground Italian sausage in place of the beef if you prefer. Ground turkey is also an option if you want to make a lighter meal.
  • Pasta: This recipe works with most pasta shapes that cook in around 10 minutes (I do not recommend instant varieties, or very small or thin shapes, they usually need less liquid to cook and the pasta will stay soupy), though I do love rigatoni a lot with bolognese sauce.
  • Broth: Feel free to use chicken broth if you don’t have beef on hand. The flavor will be a little different, but still delicious.

How to make One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese

Start by cooking the beef in a little olive oil with salt and pepper until it’s browned and crumbled. If you have a lot of grease emerging from the meat, feel free to drain it at this point (1).

photo collage to show how to brown beef and vegetables for Bolognese sauce

Next, stir in the vegetables and sauté for a few minutes, until the onions have softened (2).

Now add the herbs, seasoning and tomato paste. Stir them in well until the tomato paste is fragrant (3).

photo collage to show how to make sauce for Rigatoni Bolognese

Add the beef broth, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot (4).

Finally, stir in the diced tomatoes and uncooked rigatoni (5).

photo collage to show uncooked rigatoni in bolognese sauce

Now, you’ll want to bring the liquids to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the pasta until the rigatoni are done to your liking. Stir from time to time to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick and burn on the bottom of the pan.

Once the rigatoni are cooked, the liquids should have reduced to a saucy consistency. If you feel like it needs more broth, add more during the cooking – but don’t overdo it or you’ll end up with bolognese soup.

I recommend serving the pasta right away – the sauce thickens as it sits, and it’s really best eaten straight away.

overhead closeup of rigatoni bolognese in sauté pan

Recipe tips

  • No pre-cooking the pasta! I always get comments on my one pot pasta recipes turning out soupy, and usually it’s because the pasta was pre-cooked – do NOT pre-cook the pasta!
  • Chopping the vegetables: 
    • When cooking with little kids around, I like to get all of the prep work done ahead of time. Sometimes I even chop veggies during nap time in the morning!
    • Here, you need to chop onion,carrot and celery. These are relatively easy to clean and prep. Did you know that it’s easier to peel an onion after rinsing it? It kind of sticks the peel together so it doesn’t annoyingly flutter everywhere.
    • Chop everything quite small so it softens quickly during cooking. And to be even more lazy, I usually throw it all in my food processor and pulse a few times until it’s chopped up. So easy!
  • Make sure to sauté the tomato paste for a few minutes: Stir the tomato paste into the pot and seasoning and cook for another minute – it is important to roast the tomato paste before adding any liquids, to give it a richer flavor.
close up of rigatoni bolognese in pan

Freezer instructions

You can make this and freeze it in a casserole dish. Reheat in the oven at 360°F covered with foil for about an hour (no need to defrost). Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the casserole is piping hot all the way through.

General freezer tips

  • make sure to use containers or bags suitable for freezing
  • label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months)
  • reheat until piping hot all the way through before serving

Tips for leftovers

Turning leftovers into a pasta casserole is the best way to reheat leftovers here. Refrigerate any leftovers in a casserole dish for up to 3 days. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°F, or until hot and bubbly.

If the pasta feels dry, stir in ½ cup – 1 cup of tomato sauce before sprinkling with cheese.

close up photo of rigatoni bolognese in white bowl with fork

More one pot pasta dinners

  • Easy American Goulash (One Pot!)
  • One Pot Cheesy Taco Pasta
  • One Pot Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Gnocchi
  • One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

Printable Recipe Card
white bowl with rigatoni bolognese
Save Recipe Saved!

One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese

Make dinner time quick and easy with this One Pot Rigatoni Bolognese! Everything cooks in one pot – even the pasta cooks right in the sauce.
Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings
made it? tap the stars to add your rating!
4.79 from 95 votes
Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 15 mins
Cook 15 mins
Total 30 mins
Servings 6 servings
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1 carrot finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 3 cups beef broth or more as needed
  • 1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (16-oz) box rigatoni pasta uncooked
  • grated parmesan to serve (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Brown the beef: Heat oil in a medium-large pan. Brown the beef, seasoning with a few pinches of salt and pepper as it cooks.
  • Cook the vegetables: Add the finely chopped vegetables to the pot with the beef and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened (about 2-3 minutes).
  • Season and deglaze: Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, a pinch of salt, pepper and tomato paste to the pan. Stir until mixed in well. Pour in 3 cups broth, scratching the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
  • Cook the pasta: Add the diced tomatoes and uncooked pasta to the skillet, making sure to stir everything in until the pasta is covered with liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is done, about 15 minutes. Add up to one more cup of broth during cooking, as needed. Serve with grated parmesan.
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Notes

Ingredient Notes:

Ground beef: I always use lean ground beef for this, but you can use crumbled Italian sausage in place of the ground beef if you prefer.
Pasta: This recipe works with most pasta shapes that cook in around 10 minutes (I do not recommend instant varieties, or very small or thin shapes, they usually need less liquid to cook and the pasta will stay soupy), though I do love rigatoni a lot with bolognese sauce

Cooking Tips:

No pre-cooking the pasta! I always get comments on my one pot pasta recipes turning out soupy, and usually it’s because the pasta was pre-cooked – do NOT pre-cook the pasta!
Chopping the vegetables: When cooking with little kids around, I like to get all of the prep work done ahead of time. Sometimes I even chop veggies during nap time in the morning!
Here, you need to chop onion, carrot and celery. These are relatively easy to clean and prep. Did you know that it’s easier to peel an onion after rinsing it? It kind of sticks the peel together so it doesn’t annoyingly flutter everywhere.
Chop everything quite small so it softens quickly during cooking. And to be even more lazy, I usually throw it all in my food processor and pulse a few times until it’s chopped up. So easy!
Make sure to sauté the tomato paste for a few minutes: Stir the tomato paste into the pot and seasoning and cook for another minute – it is important to roast the tomato paste before adding any liquids, to give it a richer flavor.

Freezer tips

You can make this and freeze it in a casserole dish.
Reheat in the oven at 360°F covered with foil for about an hour (no need to defrost). Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the casserole is piping hot all the way through.
Freezer tips
  • make sure to use containers or bags suitable for freezing
  • label with the name and use-by date (freeze for up to 3 months)
  • reheat until piping hot all the way through before serving

Tips for leftovers

Turning leftovers into a pasta casserole is the best way to reheat leftovers here.
Refrigerate any leftovers in a casserole dish for up to 2 days. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400°F, or until hot and bubbly.

Note:

We have little kids, so this serves 6 for us. If you have bigger eaters, it’s closer to 4. Also, if you have teen boys, this serves 1 😉
Nutrition estimate is for 6 servings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 459kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 29gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 790mgPotassium: 939mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2061IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 5mg
Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings
About Nora 
When I got married to my professional chef husband, I realized I had to step up my game in the kitchen. Now I share my favorite foolproof family recipes here on Savory Nothings: Chef-approved, kid-vetted and easy enough for everyday home cooks like you and me!   Learn more.

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Comments

  1. Linda Switt says

    June 16, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    This so easy! I add a chopped red pepper and a zucchini and a little chicken sausage. So good! I serve it with a salad. Love having the left overs too!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      June 18, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      I’m so glad, Linda!

      Reply
  2. Ellen Wheeler says

    June 12, 2022 at 5:48 pm

    5 stars
    I made this last night and absolutely loved it. It’s so different and not your traditional Italian dinner.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      June 14, 2022 at 2:04 pm

      I’m so glad, Ellen!

      Reply
  3. Jeanine says

    June 11, 2022 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    My son and I love this! I substituted garlic powder with 1/2 T minced garlic (the jar kind). I also omitted the celery (personal preference) and added an added 1/2 carrot more. I added a bit more Italian seasoning as well. These are just my flavor preferences. The recipe is perfect as is. ❤️

    Reply
    • Nora says

      June 14, 2022 at 1:52 pm

      I’m so glad, Jeanine. Thanks for sharing your tweaks, they sound great!

      Reply
  4. Cynthia Green says

    May 03, 2022 at 11:13 pm

    5 stars
    We love it for a quick delicious meal. I did make a mistake by using some Italian made wonderful dry rigatoni. It took a long time to cook and really did soak up too much sauce as it was thicker than our usual DeCecco brand. We serve it to friends for dinner and they love it, too

    Reply
    • Nora says

      May 04, 2022 at 11:37 am

      Cynthia, I’m glad you like this recipe! And yes, those artisan/thick pastas are so good, but they really do need longer cooking and more liquid.

      Reply
  5. Sheri says

    March 29, 2022 at 12:03 am

    5 stars
    I forgot to rate it the first time I made it so I’m rating it now since I’m getting ready to make it again. I followed your directions exactly and it turns out perfect, it taste like its been cooking for hours, its so delicious. Thank you so much! 😊

    Reply
    • Nora says

      April 08, 2022 at 9:35 pm

      I’m so glad, Sheri!

      Reply
  6. Anisha says

    March 08, 2022 at 2:34 am

    4 stars
    Delicious!! Toddler approved! I ended up simmering this for 20 minutes hoping that it would thicken out a bit but I still found it a bit soupy… was I supposed to drain the diced tomatoes? Nonetheless, this dish was super flavourful. I served it will garlic toast and cooked some mushrooms on the side ( I had to use them up) and added them to the kids bowls and they ate it all! Will make again!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 08, 2022 at 10:41 am

      I’m glad you liked it, Anisha! I never had issues with it being soupy and I never drain the tomatoes. If your particular brand comes with a lot of watery liquid in the can, it could be worth a try to drain them next time. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  7. Cindy Green says

    March 06, 2022 at 3:37 pm

    5 stars
    I made this last evening. I was looking for a recipe to use a pound of sweet Italian sausage with. I had all ingredients on hand. The only difference was that when I browned the sauce I deglazed the pan with some red wine. I used my food processor for the vegetables, made it quick and easy. I made the sauce and let it simmer, when we were ready for dinner I add the pasta. Delicious.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      March 08, 2022 at 10:38 am

      I’m so glad, Cindy!

      Reply
  8. Jette says

    February 26, 2022 at 12:09 am

    5 stars
    Very happy with the result. I think it’s the perfect taste leaving room for people to add parmesan/ more pepper/ chilli flakes. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      February 26, 2022 at 5:42 pm

      I’m so glad, Jette!

      Reply
  9. Nikki says

    February 22, 2022 at 6:16 am

    5 stars
    Super easy and delicious! Definitely one to put in rotation 🙂 thank you!!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      February 22, 2022 at 8:29 pm

      I’m so glad, Nikki!

      Reply
  10. Jan says

    February 13, 2022 at 2:47 am

    5 stars
    I used 2 cloves of minced garlic and used hot Italian sausage. It was delicious and I will definitely make it again.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      February 15, 2022 at 4:19 pm

      I’m so glad, Jan!

      Reply
  11. Cassidy says

    November 23, 2021 at 2:01 am

    5 stars
    This is an excellent recipe. I modified a bit and added fresh thyme, 1clove fresh garlic, about 1.5 tsp garlic powder, and about a tablespoon of sugar after the broth. Use sea salt in place of regular. Simply amazing.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 24, 2021 at 10:56 am

      I’m so happy to hear this, Cassidy!

      Reply
  12. Lisa L says

    September 29, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    4 stars
    Yum! I love this recipe. I did have to add more seasoning than specified. In my family we love garlic. Will make this again. I want to try it with ham included, as well as the ground meat.

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 01, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      I’m so glad, Lisa.

      Reply
  13. Norma says

    August 31, 2021 at 1:14 am

    Very easy and tasty! The added cup of broth was needed!

    Reply
    • Nora says

      September 25, 2021 at 5:33 pm

      I’m so glad the recipe worked out for you, Norma!

      Reply
  14. Cookie says

    November 05, 2020 at 1:03 pm

    4 stars
    This recipe is good but be sure to remember to SALT TO TASTE. I know it seems like a no Brainer but I followed this recipe to the tee and didn’t see it out to do so. Came out good but definitely could of used some sea salt during preparation. I added a bit after and it totally took it to te next level but if I’d if done it before I know I of could.

    Reply
  15. Dean Miller says

    June 22, 2020 at 6:18 am

    5 stars
    This was absolutely amazing… such a simple and easy recipe, will definitely be adding it to my dinner list of favourites… TOO DIE FOR!!!!

    Reply
  16. Phyl says

    June 15, 2020 at 10:58 pm

    Nora…Do u drain the juice from the canned tomatoes? I want to make this tonight but not sure on the canned tomatoes if they get drained or not.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  17. Melanie Grein says

    June 03, 2020 at 1:55 am

    5 stars
    AMAZING!! I’ve made it twice now for my family and they love it! I love that you’re an “efficient” cook…makes life easy! This comes together fast and tastes like a restaurant meal…It’s a keeper…thank you so much!! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes…

    Reply
  18. JD says

    May 02, 2020 at 1:05 am

    5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was extremely good. I followed the recipe closely, using water with some added beef base and substituting tri-color garden rotini. The final result had a very rich flavor and I don’t see any need to tweak the recipe when I make it in the future. Thank you for this delicious recipe! It has been added to my list of husband-approved dishes!

    Reply
  19. Heather says

    December 19, 2019 at 2:34 am

    This recipe was delicious! I used vegetable broth instead of water, and Morningstar beef-less crumbles to make it vegetarian friendly. My kids all loved it, even the picky one! I added red pepper flakes and fresh basil at the end. The noodles did take about 10 minutes longer to cook FYI. I will definitely cook this again.

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      December 19, 2019 at 10:26 pm

      That is so smart to make it vegetarian! And I’m glad you and your kids enjoyed it. The noodle cooking times vary so much across brands, crazy. Sorry yours took so much longer 🙈 I think I’m going to have to start giving instructions per pasta brand in my one pot pasta recipes, haha!

      Reply
  20. Jane Saunders says

    December 17, 2019 at 10:50 am

    5 stars
    So fantastic. I often made stovetop pasta as a quick meal (which cooks the pasta in with everything) but had never thought to extend this hack to a bolognese before. Just what my weeknights need on a regular basis

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      December 17, 2019 at 3:17 pm

      I’m so glad you enjoyed the pasta, Jane! Thanks for your review, I appreciate it.

      Reply
  21. Emmalyn says

    December 10, 2019 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    Sorry to overrun you like this hahaha but another BF vote
    Coming in. Just made this on a whim for lunch bc it looked so good and it was DELISH. Didn’t have garlic powder so use a little more Italian seasoning, and used beef broth instead of water. Boyfriend wholfed it down.
    Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      December 10, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      Don’t be sorry, Emmalyn! Keep those comments coming, it’s always great to chat 🙂 I’m so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the pasta. And good call on the seasoning!

      Reply
  22. Alice E says

    December 10, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    Combing from buzzffeed too and def making this for dinner tonite. Looks so good! Is the celery mandatory? I know I have everything else at home and don’t feel like jumping into the store after work.

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      December 10, 2019 at 7:16 pm

      Alice, no it’s absolutely fine to make without the celery! If you have a green pepper by any chance, you can use about a quarter of that chopped up if you like the flavor (I would never eat it as-is, but I do really like it in some dishes with ground beef). But it’s fine to just skip it. Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do!

      Reply
  23. Jen says

    December 10, 2019 at 7:06 pm

    Just saw this on a buzzfeed post and would love to make this week, but wondering if I can sub in gf pasta? My son is celiac so we have to I am not one of those crazies wo do this voluntarily lol

    Reply
    • Nora Rusev says

      December 10, 2019 at 7:08 pm

      Jen, yes you can absolutely! I heard from a friend that the gluten free varieties can get mushy a bit faster vs regular ones, so I would try and pick a more sturdy brand/shape. Make sure to check often and definitely start with 2.5 – 3 cups water and adjust from there. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  24. Phyl says

    November 04, 2019 at 10:48 pm

    Nora… do u use the juice from the big can of tomatoes or drain it? It does not say. I am making it now and getting to that point of adding the tomatoes. Guess I better check recipes for questions a day or so before I plan on making it
    Thank you.
    Phyl

    Reply
    • Nora says

      November 04, 2019 at 11:25 pm

      Phyl, I usually do add it! Sorry if that wasn’t clear in the recipe. I hope it worked out for you?

      Reply
      • Phyl says

        November 05, 2019 at 4:32 am

        Nora
        Thank you for responding. I did make it left out the carrots and celery only cuz I chopped so much yesterday for tortellini soup and failed to make extra but it was still good. I shared with a couple neighbors and they liked it also.
        Thanks again.
        Phyl

        Reply

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Nora Rusev from Savory Nothings

Hi, I'm Nora! I wasn't always a good cook, but then I fell in love with a professional chef and learned my way around the kitchen. Now I share all my secrets to effortlessly great food here on my blog, bite-sized for home cooks just like me and you.

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