Rigatoni Lasagna, Shells, Mostaccioli Recipe

Preheat and prep pans

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish (or equivalent) with 1 tbs olive oil.

Boil pastas

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tsp coarse salt. Add rigatoni, jumbo shells, and mostaccioli to the same pot in batches or all together if your pot is large enough. Cook each pasta until very al dente (about 7–9 minutes for rigatoni, 9–11 for shells, 8–10 for mostaccioli) — they will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and toss each type with 2 tbs olive oil to prevent sticking; set aside on separate trays so you can assemble the different shapes without them clumping.

Assemble in dish

Spread a thin layer (about 1 cup) of the meat sauce evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange the cooked rigatoni in a single layer in one third of the dish, lined up or slightly overlapped. In the middle third, nestle the stuffed jumbo shells (see Cheese filling step for stuffing). In the final third, pile the mostaccioli mixed with a little sauce. Reserve about 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce for topping each section, and keep the remaining sauce for later or extra serving.

Make the sauce while the pasta water heats: heat 1 tbs olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Break meat up with a spoon and brown until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired, leaving about 1 tbs in the pan for flavor.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize. Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, then add dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, sugar (if using), 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and cook, partially covered, for 15–20 minutes to meld flavors. Stir in chopped fresh basil at the end and adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm until assembly.

Combine ricotta, 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (reserve 1/2 cup for mixing with finished dish if desired), 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, egg, chopped parsley, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper in a bowl. Mix until smooth and cohesive.

Stuff the cooked jumbo shells: Using a spoon or piping bag, fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and place into the middle third of the baking dish on top of the thin sauce layer. If you prefer, loosely mix half of the ricotta mixture into the cooked rigatoni or mostaccioli before placing them in their sections for a cohesive lasagna effect.

Top each pasta section with the reserved meat sauce: spoon sauce liberally over rigatoni, stuffed shells, and mostaccioli (about 1/2 cup sauce per section or more to fully coat). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan evenly over the entire dish.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10–12 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly golden.

Let rest 10 minutes out of the oven to set. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil over the top, garnish with fresh basil leaves, and cut into portions that include all three pasta styles when serving.