My son-in-law’s birthday was last week and when asked what meal he’d like for the celebration, he requested one of his favorites – Baked Rigatoni.  I was very happy to hear this since not only is it delicious, it is also ridiculously simple.

I’m sure everyone can agree that any recipe that is a crowd pleaser but doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare, is a real winner!

Serve with a caesar salad and garlic bread and you’ll make everyone very happy!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 box (16 ounces) rigatoni
1 small container (16 ounces) small curd cottage cheese
2 packages (8 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese
1 package (8 ounces) grated parmesan cheese
1 jar (24 ounces) Four Cheese spaghetti sauce
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper, to taste

STEP 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
STEP 2
Cook ground beef or turkey, drain
STEP 3
Cook rigatoni, rinse and drain
STEP 4
In a large bowl, mix together meat, rigatoni, egg, cottage cheese,  1 package mozzarella cheese, 1/2 package parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper
STEP 5
Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan
STEP 6
Cover with remaining spaghetti sauce and remaining cheeses
STEP 7
Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes