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a baking dish of large ridged rigatoni tubes in thick red-brown tomato ragù with short shredded beef strands beneath a modest melted mozzarella and Parmesan topping
Rachel Kim

Baked Rigatoni

A slowly braised beef ragù settles into the wide rigatoni tubes and makes this the long-cook pasta pan. Start the beef well before dinner. It should pull into short strands with a fork before the pasta is boiled. The sauce needs to stay loose enough to coat the tubes after they absorb more liquid in the oven. A restrained mozzarella topping leaves plenty of the dark, meaty sauce visible instead of sealing the whole dish under a thick cheese blanket.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt divided
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 medium carrot finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes 28 oz
  • 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 lb dry rigatoni
  • 1 tbsp fine salt for pasta water
  • 6 oz low-moisture mozzarella grated
  • 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Season beef with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper and brown in oil in a Dutch oven for 6 to 8 minutes, turning. Transfer to a plate.
  2. Cook carrot and onion in the pot for 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute. Return beef and add tomatoes, broth, water, thyme and remaining salt.
  3. Cover and braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the beef shreds easily. Shred it into short strands in the sauce, discarding large pieces of fat. Increase the oven to 375°F.
  4. Boil rigatoni in water with the tablespoon salt until 3 minutes short of the package time. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain and fold into the ragù with 1/2 cup reserved water; use more only if the sauce is too thick to spread.
  5. Transfer to a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish and scatter with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
  6. Uncover for 8 to 10 minutes until the center reaches 165°F and the cheese browns lightly. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.