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Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Bake

Rigatoni, tomato sauce and mozzarella bake into a bubbling dinner with crisp golden edges.

Published by Gabor U. · Updated August 24, 2026

45 minutesTotal time
12 minPreparation
33 minCooking
4Servings
Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Bake
What you need

Ingredients

  • 320 g rigatoni
  • 500 ml tomato passata
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 200 g mozzarella, torn
  • 40 g grated parmesan
  • Salt and black pepper
Step by step

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 190°C fan. Lightly oil a medium baking dish.
  2. Cook the rigatoni in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the package time. Reserve 150 ml water and drain.
  3. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
  4. Pour in the passata, add the oregano, salt and pepper, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 60 ml pasta water.
  5. Mix the rigatoni with the sauce, half the mozzarella and half the parmesan. Transfer to the baking dish.
  6. Scatter over the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Bake for 18–22 minutes until bubbling and browned at the edges.
  7. Rest for 8–10 minutes before spooning into bowls.

How the pasta finishes in the oven

This pasta bake has enough sauce to stay moist, but the rigatoni is undercooked before baking so it keeps its shape. Mozzarella gives stretchy pockets inside and browned patches on top, while parmesan adds a savory edge.

Preventing soft pasta and a watery bake

Do not cook the rigatoni fully in water—it continues cooking in hot sauce. Use enough sauce to coat every tube but drain wet mozzarella before tearing it. The eight-to-ten-minute rest is part of the method: serving immediately releases loose sauce and makes portions collapse.

Undercooking rigatoni on purpose

Choose a baking dish in which the pasta sits in a fairly deep layer rather than spread thin. Drain fresh mozzarella and pat it dry so excess liquid does not water down the sauce.

Rigatoni, passata and mozzarella

Rigatoni holds sauce inside and stands up to oven heat better than delicate shapes. Smooth passata gives even coverage without a long simmer. Drain fresh mozzarella and pat it dry; low-moisture mozzarella browns more readily, while very wet cheese can leave liquid around the edges of the dish.

Additions that suit the tomato base

Add sautéed mushrooms, spinach or roasted zucchini. Cooked sausage can be folded in for a meat version. Provolone or a firm melting cheese can replace some of the mozzarella.

Resting before serving

Let the bake stand before serving and add a crisp green salad. Garlic bread is useful for a larger group but not essential.

Reheating without drying the bake

Refrigerate for up to 3 days and reheat covered until hot, uncovering for the last few minutes. Assemble up to 1 day ahead, refrigerate, then add 5–10 minutes to the baking time.

Can the pasta bake be assembled in advance?

Yes. Assemble it, cool the sauce first and refrigerate covered for up to one day. Add about ten minutes to the baking time and make sure the center is steaming hot before serving.