Spicy Rigatoni with Meat Sauce is rustically simple yet big on Italian flavor with a little kick of spice! An easy pasta night with a quick ground beef and garlicky tomato sauce, tossed in rigatoni and generously topped with fresh Parmesan cheese. A perfect weeknight meal that's ready in 35 minutes!
- Quick and Easy! - While we love a pot of Mom's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce simmering on the stovetop all afternoon, this is a quick and easy version! This spicy rigatoni meat sauce comes together in the time it takes to boil the rigatoni!
- A Pantry Friendly Pasta! - I can usually thaw a pound of ground beef from the freezer and have most of the other ingredients on hand! This spicy rigatoni recipe is flexible, versatile and just handy for busy weeknights! Try this similar flavored Tomato Tortellini Soup with Ground Beef!
- If you Love this Pasta, try my Baked Tortellini with Italian Sausage and this Sausage, Peppers and Onion Marinara Pasta!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Pantry staples plus fresh produce combine for a delicious and easy family pasta night!
- Rigatoni - The rigatoni shape means "ridges" or "lines" which are perfect for grabbing a thick and hearty meat sauce like this! You could also substitute penne, ziti or medium shells.
- Ground Beef - This just keeps it simple because we always have ground beef to pull from the freezer! You could also substitute ground Italian sausage or sausage links, but these are already spiced so adjust the red pepper flakes accordingly. You could even start this dish with fresh or frozen shrimp cooked with the onions.
- Onion and Garlic - You can make a quick homemade marinara sauce by starting with onions and garlic! They add great flavor, the onion cooks alongside the beef while the garlic needs less time and gets added later.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - This is where you can adjust the spice level! If you want to keep it mild, just do ½ teaspoon, or omit the red pepper flakes completely. You can start with 1 teaspoon for a nice kick and you can always sprinkle more over the finished dish to go spicier. An old jar of crushed red pepper flakes probably has lost some of its potency, so you may need to add a bit extra.
- Canned Tomato - Crushed tomatoes are just so handy to make a quick cooking sauce! This is flexible however, and you could use a large can of whole peeled tomatoes and crush, chop, or run them in a food processor. You could even chop a bunch of fresh tomatoes in the summer or use a jar of store-bought or freezer tomato sauce from your summer garden like this Freezer Pizza Sauce or my Freezer Marinara Sauce.
- Heavy Cream - A bit of heavy cream gives this tomato sauce a silky creamy texture. You could substitute half & half like in this similar Creamy Tomato Pink Sauce Pasta.
- Spinach and Fresh Herbs - A big burst of fresh ingredients brighten up this sauce and add a bit of nutrition! A box of pre-washed baby spinach is the easiest to wilt right in without needing to chop. You could also substitute chopped kale, but add it along with the garlic so it has more time to cook. Fresh herbs can be parsley or basil, but any Italian herbs like sage, oregano, rosemary or thyme could be tossed in.
- Parmesan Cheese - An essential topping, Parmesan cheese really brings this pasta together! Buying a block and shredding it yourself is always the best quality and often the best price too!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This spicy rigatoni pasta comes together super quick in layers on the stovetop! It's tossed together and ready to serve in 35 minutes!
Step 1 - Cook the pasta is salted boiling water.
Before draining, use a measuring cup, a ladle or coffee mug to scoop out and reserve 2 cups of the starchy cooking water.
Step 2 - Begin browning the beef in a large skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
Step 3 - When the beef has released some fat, push it aside and cook the onions in the fat on the other side.
Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4 - Stir both the onions and beef separately until the beef is fully browned and caramelized.
Keeping them separate keeps the liquid released by the onion away from the beef so it can caramelize instead of steam!
Step 5 - Move the beef and onions aside to create an opening in the middle of the skillet.
Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme and cook for just a minute until fragrant.
Step 6 - Add the crushed tomato, cream, fresh spinach and herbs.
Stir and simmer to wilt in the spinach.
Step 7 - Simmer the sauce, adjusting the heat down to keep it at a gentle bubble until your pasta is ready.
Step 8 - Add the drained pasta along with some of the starchy cooking liquid, about a half cup at a time, and toss well.
The pasta water will thin and stretch the sauce as it coats the pasta.
Step 9 - The spicy rigatoni pasta sauce can simmer over low heat a few more minutes, allowing you to keep adding the pasta water as needed as you toss and stir. I added 2 cups total.
Serve with plenty of shredded Parmesan cheese, more fresh herbs and crushed red pepper flakes.
Recipe Notes & Helpful Tips
- Save the Starchy Pasta Water! - The magic ingredient of pasta sauce making, save some of the pasta cooking liquid before you drain the noodles! This starchy water thins and stretches the sauce so it can easily coat all that pasta. It's used to adjust the thickness of the sauce as you go!
- Adding Vegetables - This spicy rigatoni is on the healthy side with onion, garlic, tomato, spinach and fresh herbs! You can add even more veggies if you like, especially during garden season. When you are browning the beef, you could add red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, or carrots to cook with the onions. You could also substitute the spinach for kale, just add it earlier with the garlic. Also try my Sausage Orecchiette Pasta with Peppers and Spinach!
- What to Serve it With - Pasta night goes great with a big salad like this Italian Mixed Greens Salad or this Spinach Arugula Salad! This Prosciutto Parmesan Salad would be delicious too! You can also serve it with some crusty garlic bread or my Overnight Dutch Oven Bread!
- Storage and Reheating - Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. The pasta will absorb the sauce and thicken as it cools. You'll want to add a bit of water when reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this spicy rigatoni with ground beef could easily be subbed with ground Italian sausage. Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes if using mild, sweet or hot sausage.
Yes, the crushed tomatoes are flexible. San Marzano are always the best canned tomatoes, but crushed, diced or whole peeled can all work. You could also use jarred marinara sauce, or about 4 large chopped fresh tomatoes. These options are all going to alter the finished dish, but should all be good!
Using 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes will give this dish a nice kick of spice. You can easily adjust this, starting with less or more when it gets cooked into the sauce, and by adding more as a garnish to the finished dish. If you don't like things spicy or want to make it kid-friendly, you can leave out the red pepper flakes, or just add a small pinch.
This pasta sauce will thicken as it simmers and the steam escapes, stirring will aide this process. It can be thinned by adding the reserved starchy pasta water. The simmering sauce is constantly in motion, it will also thicken as it cools. Add more water when reheating the cold pasta.
More Favorite Pasta Nighst!
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Spicy Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 grinds fresh black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ to 1 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (adjust for desired spice level)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- 1 large can crushed tomato
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ¼ cup fresh parsley or basil chopped
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta following package directions until al dente, about 12 minutes. BEFORE DRAINING, reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water, a ladle, measuring cup or coffee mug scooped into a glass measuring cup works great!
- Meanwhile, in a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium to medium high heat, begin to brown the beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon, about 3 minutes.
- When the beef has release some fat, move it to the side of the skillet and add the onions to the open space. Season both with salt and pepper.
- Cook the beef and onions, keeping them separate, until the beef is fully browned and caramelized, about 10 more minutes.
- Push the meat and onions aside to create an open space in the middle of the skillet to add the garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme. Cook a minute until fragrant. Note: I don't usually drain the beef fat, but this is the time to do it if you want to!
- Add the crushed tomato, heavy cream, spinach and fresh herbs and stir well to combine. Bring to a simmer, reducing the heat down as needed to keep it gently bubbling, about 15 minutes or until the pasta is ready.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce (don't forget to save that cooking water!). Add the reserved pasta water about a half cup at a time as you toss the pasta, to thin and stretch the sauce as needed. I added 2 cups total.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, more fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Spice Level - The crushed red pepper flakes gives this pasta a delicious little kick of heat! This can be adjusted to your liking. Adding ½ teaspoon to the sauce won't make it overly spicy while 1 teaspoon will give you a nice kick. You can always sprinkle more over the finished dish! Keep in mind, if your crushed red pepper flakes have been in the spice cabinet quite awhile, they may be less potent than a fresh jar!
- Save the Starchy Cooking Water! - The secret to sauce making! Scoop out 2 cups of the cooking liquid before you drain the pasta. Add it a little at a time as you toss the cooked pasta with the sauce to stretch the sauce and bring the dish together. If you forget and drain it, you can use regular water and a bit more cream.
- Reheating Leftovers - When reheating leftovers, you'll want to add a bit of water as the pasta will have absorbed the sauce.
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