One-Pan Cheesy Tomato Beef Rigatoni (Ready in 30 Minutes)
This One-Pan Tomato Beef Pasta is rich, saucy, and finished with parmesan and herbs, all built from blistered fresh tomatoes and seared beef.
Most quick tomato sauces rely on canned tomatoes or something already built. I am almost never a fan of that!
This recipe uses the same sauce technique as my 20 minute One-Pan Creamy Tomato Pasta with Fresh Tomato Cream Sauce, and it's one of my favorite ways to make a quick, easy, and healthy tomato sauce.
Note: you have full permission to call me out on this but...I'm constantly adding quick & easy pasta recipes to the site (my One-Pan Tomato & Spinach Pasta, 20 Minute Cherry Tomato & Burrata Pasta are two of my latest faves) and I think it's safe to say I'll never suggest using jarred sauce.
To pull this particular sauce together, you start with whole tomatoes straight in the pan and let them do the work. As they heat up, they collapse, blister, and turn into a sauce on their own. It’s faster than a traditional build, but it still gives you that same depth once everything comes together.
Then the beef goes in, and this is the part people usually rush. If you don’t give it a second to actually brown, you lose half the flavor. Press it down, leave it alone, let it build that crust.
Rigatoni is doing its job here too. Big tubes, rough edges, made for sauces like this that need something to hold onto. It’s not just a shape choice, it changes how the whole dish eats.
By the time the parmesan melts in and the pasta gets tossed through, it lands somewhere between a quick weeknight pasta and something built with a bit more intention.
It’s simple, but it don't let that fool you. Rich, balanced, and something you can make on a weeknight without thinking twice.
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Why this one-pan tomato beef pasta works
Fresh tomatoes build the sauce
They break down naturally and give you a lighter, fresher base.
Beef gets proper browning
Pressing it into the pan first builds flavor before breaking it up.
Tomato paste adds depth
A small amount goes a long way in rounding out the sauce.
Pasta water ties it together
Helps emulsify everything into a glossy, cohesive sauce.
"This came together so easily! It really is one pan. I didn't know something so delicious could be so simple."
KK (email subscriber)
Recipe
One-Pan Cheesy Tomato Beef Rigatoni
Video
Ingredients
Method
- Cook pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook 150–180 g rigatoni until al dente, reserving a splash of pasta water before draining.
- Blister base: Heat a pan with olive oil over medium heat, place 4 tomatoes cut side down, then add ½ cup onion, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
- Sear beef: Add ½ lb ground beef, press it into the pan, and cook covered for about 5 minutes to develop browning.
- Build sauce: Remove the lid, break up the beef, mash the tomatoes into a sauce, then season with salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½–1 teaspoon oregano.
- Finish sauce: Stir in chopped parsley and grated parmesan, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen.
- Combine: Add the cooked rigatoni and toss until fully coated.
- Serve: Transfer to bowls and finish with more parsley and parmesan.
Notes
- Don’t rush the tomatoes. Let them soften fully before mashing so you get a smooth sauce.
- Pressing the beef first is key. That initial contact builds most of the flavor.
- Use pasta water sparingly. You want to loosen the sauce, not thin it out.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Commonly Asked Questions about the Cheesy Tomato Beef Rigatoni
Yes, but fresh tomatoes give a lighter, brighter flavor.
Of course. Any short pasta like penne or fusilli works well. That said, I do think Rigatoni is best because the large tubes and ridge texture hold the sauce well.
Best fresh, but it reheats well with a splash of water.
Definitely, extra parmesan or even mozzarella works well.
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Into this one? I have lots more where it came from. Try a few of these next.
