What Is Rigatoni pasta and How Can I Use It?

If rigatoni pasta has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 39 recipes to try it in.

What is rigatoni pasta?

Rigatoni is a large, wide pasta tube with deep ridges running the length of its outside and straight, square-cut ends. It is bigger around than penne and ziti, and its mouth stays open rather than tapering. The name comes from the Italian rigato, meaning ridged or lined.

That combination of size and grooves makes it one of the best sauce-catchers in the pasta drawer.

Cooking With Rigatoni

The wide bore and pronounced ridges are built to trap sauce. Chunky pieces, peas, and crumbled sausage slide inside the tube, while the grooves on the outside hold a thick coating. Every forkful carries sauce inside and out.

Dried rigatoni takes about 12 to 15 minutes to reach al dente, a little longer than penne because the walls are thicker and the tube is larger.

The thick walls also mean it keeps a firm, chewy bite even if you overshoot by a minute, which is why it forgives a distracted cook.

It holds its shape in the oven beautifully, so it stands up to baked dishes and slow-simmered sauces without going limp. For salting the water and judging al dente, see the pasta hub.

Sauces and Pairings

Rigatoni wants weight. Long-cooked meat ragus and sausage-and-bean braises suit it because they fill the wide tube. A White Bean & Sausage Rigatoni shows the pattern: hearty bits that settle inside the pasta.

Vodka and tomato-cream sauces cling to the ridges and pool in the bore, as in Rigatoni with Vodka Tomato Sauce. Melting cheeses work the same way; Rigatoni Alla Fontina lets the cheese run into the tubes.

The mistake is using rigatoni with a thin, delicate sauce. The tube is so large that a light sauce never coats it and drains to the bottom of the bowl. Save those for thinner shapes and give rigatoni something it can hold.

Substitutes

Penne is the closest everyday swap, a smaller ridged tube that works in nearly any rigatoni dish at a slightly daintier scale. Ziti subs well in baked dishes, though its smooth walls grip less.

For the heartiest dishes, large tubes like paccheri or tortiglioni stand in directly. Rigatoni also makes a fine swap for ziti in baked ziti, since the bigger ridged tube holds the sauce just as well.

Buying and Storing

Buy rigatoni made from durum wheat or semolina, which the box will state. That hard wheat is what gives the thick walls their chew and keeps them from splitting during a long bake, while soft-wheat versions turn pasty.

Bronze-die rigatoni has a rough, chalky surface that grabs even more sauce than the standard smooth-extruded kind.

Stored dry in a sealed container in a cool cupboard, rigatoni keeps for two years or more, well past the printed best-by date in practice.

Cooked rigatoni lasts three to four days refrigerated and reheats best folded back into warm sauce; baked rigatoni dishes also freeze well for a month or two.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find rigatoni pasta: Rigatoni pasta is usually found in the pasta section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Rigatoni pasta is a member of the Cereal Grains and Pasta US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

面食，rigatoni

British (UK) term

Rigatoni pasta

en français

pâtes, rigatoni

en español

pasta, rigatoni

How much does rigatoni pasta weigh?

Related

Cereal Grains and Pasta

Recipes using rigatoni pasta

There are 39 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Baked Pasta with Mushrooms

A delicious and filling vegetarian main dish. Meaty mushrooms, rigatoni tomatoes veggies and two kinds of cheese make this a pleasing hearty main dish.

Pasta & Sausage Oregano

A quick and easy one pan meal is perfect for a weekday supper when you don't have time to cook up a storm.

Double-Cheese Rigatoni with Sausage & Hot Cherry Peppers For Two

Modified from a fine cooking recipe for a more reasonable serving size, a cheesy Italian baked pasta dish that's satisfying and filling for two.

Asparagus, Sausage & Pepper Pasta

A delicious and wholesome meal. Try to use whole wheat rigatoni if you can, it makes the dish even heartier.

Baked Rigatoni

A long slow simmer makes this cheesy rich crowd pleaser a certain hit when company is coming.

Bob's Crock Pot Pizza

Learn how to make a slow cooker pizza using rigatoni, ground beef, pepperoni, and mushrooms. A delicious and tantalizing crockpot dish that doesn't disappoint when it comes to flavor!

Darren's Grandmom's Pasta

Grandma's shortcut Italian sausage rigatoni with jarred pasta sauce, a splash of cream, and fresh Parmesan. Weeknight comfort in 40 minutes with just 6 ingredients.

Chicken-Dijon Rigatoni

Creamy Dijon chicken tossed with rigatoni in a silky half-and-half sauce. Only 7 ingredients and 40 minutes stand between you and a bistro-worthy pasta dinner.

Butchered Snake Bits with Barbecue Sauce

Creepy cheese-stuffed rigatoni shaped into slithering snakes with BBQ sauce markings and peppercorn eyes. A kid-friendly Halloween party snack that's equal parts gross and genius.

Red Beans with Pasta Sausage & Tomatoes

Rustic Italian red bean, rigatoni, and hot sausage casserole braised with chard, tomato, oregano, and white wine. Stick-to-your-ribs baked pasta for cold nights.

Rigatoni a la Vodka

Rigatoni alla vodka with bacon, tomato sauce, heavy cream, and butter in a rich pink sauce. A creamy, smoky Italian-American pasta that comes together in under 45 minutes.

Tomato & Herb Rigatoni

Tomato and herb rigatoni with fresh basil, parsley, mint, garlic, and lemon juice tossed with warm pasta. A light, no-cook vegetarian sauce.

Rigatoni

Rigatoni tossed with a quick garlic-tomato sauce, oregano, fresh parsley, and a generous shower of grated parmigiano-reggiano. A weeknight pasta that comes together in 25 minutes.

Garden-Fresh Swiss Chard Pasta with Beans & Bacon

Discover a hearty one-pan pasta dish featuring garden-fresh Swiss chard—easy to grow yet underused. Sautéed stems and wilted leaves mingle with pasta, white beans, crispy bacon, garlic and rosemary (or oregano). Finished with Parmesan cheese for Italian flair.

Daube De Queue De Boeuf

Oxtail is one of the most economical and most flavorful cuts of meat, and one that takes well to marinating for days in a hearty mixture of red wine, herbs, and vegetables. The longer you marinate the mixture, the more flavorful it will be, but be sure it marinates at least 3 days. Oxtail is also a fatty cut -- give yourself plenty of time to allow the stew to cook and then cool, so all the fat can be skimmed off. Serve this with thick noodles in warmed soup bowls, accompanied by a tossed salad, and of course, a robust red wine.

Red Beans, Pasta, Sausage & Tomatoes

Hearty baked casserole of red beans, rigatoni, Italian sausage, plum tomatoes, Swiss chard, and white wine with oregano and garlic. A rustic Italian-inspired one-pot meal.

Winter Greens Puttanesca

When buying cheese for grating, get the best quality - Parmigiano Reggiano. A wedge will keep for a long time in your refrigerator if it's very well wrapped in plastic. As it may be expensive, consider that you've made a worthwhile investment.

Create-A-Casserole

Create-a-casserole: a customizable baked pasta with your choice of meat, tomato sauce, and cheese. A flexible pantry dinner that uses up leftover cooked beef or chicken in 30 minutes of oven time.

Broccoli with Rigatoni

Broccoli with rigatoni in garlic olive oil and fresh basil, simmered with vegetable broth. A simple Italian pasta dish that's vegan-friendly and ready in 40 minutes.

Rigatoni with Four Cheeses

Rigatoni quattro formaggi with Gorgonzola, Bel Paese, Fontina, and Parmesan in a half-and-half sauce. The classic Italian four-cheese pasta in 25 minutes.

Crockpot Beef & Pepperoni Pizza

Crockpot pizza casserole with ground beef, pepperoni, rigatoni, mozzarella, mushrooms, and pizza sauce. A layered slow cooker pasta bake that delivers all the pizza flavors in one pot.

Rigatoni With Three Cheeses

Baked rigatoni with Swiss, fontina, and mozzarella in a rich cream sauce topped with parmigiano and nutmeg. Golden, bubbly, and irresistibly cheesy.

Pasta with Black Olives

A simple and easy-to-prepare main dish pasta featuring a cooked red pepper sauce that coats the robust and hearty rigatoni pasta topped with olives.

Rigatoni Alla Fontina

Rigatoni alla Fontina baked with layers of melted Fontina, Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter, and nutmeg. A rich Italian baked pasta with just 7 ingredients.

Whole Wheat Pasta, Broccolini & Radish with Feta

Whole wheat pasta with broccolini and radish gets tossed in a sherry-orange vinaigrette and crowned with creamy feta. A bright vegetarian pasta salad equally good warm or chilled the next day.

Pasta with Peppers

No-cook rigatoni pasta tossed with raw tomatoes, sliced bell peppers, fresh basil, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan. A fresh vegetarian summer pasta ready in 30 minutes.

Rigatoni with a Sauce of Lamb & Pine Nuts

Rigatoni with ground lamb, pine nuts, feta, and fresh mint in a light tomato-broth sauce. A Mediterranean pasta dish with bold Greek-inspired flavors ready in 45 minutes.

Baked Rigatoni & Meatballs

Hearty baked rigatoni loaded with homemade turkey meatballs in a chunky mushroom and tomato sauce, topped with bubbly mozzarella and Parmesan. Comfort food that feeds the whole family.

Rigatoni with Sausage

Rigatoni with Italian sausage, red wine, olives, and peppers tossed in a quick simmered spaghetti sauce. A hearty one-skillet pasta dinner with bold Italian flavors.

Sausage, Beef, & Ribs with Rigatoni

This is absolutely excellent. I made my spaghetti sauce in place of marinara sauce. Next time, change the ribs and beef and substitute round steak. The wine makes it!

Rigatoni with Ground Turkey

Baked rigatoni with ground turkey, porcini mushrooms, and tomatoes topped with homemade bechamel, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan. A hearty one-dish pasta bake.

Chicken Pasta Italiana

Wine-poached chicken tossed with rigatoni, fresh basil, sweet red peppers, and olives in a bright garlic-lemon dressing. A chilled Italian pasta salad built for hot summer nights.

Mexican Pasta Casserole

Mexican pasta casserole with chicken, jalapeno, olives, and Monterey Jack cheese in a cumin-chili tomato sauce baked with rigatoni. A spicy, cheesy one-dish dinner.

Rigatoni Al Gorgonzola Romana

Rigatoni al Gorgonzola with crumbled Gorgonzola melted into warm cream with nutmeg and Parmesan. A rich, velvety Italian blue cheese pasta sauce that comes together in the time it takes to boil the noodles.

Kitchen Cupboard Chicken Casserole

A comforting, easy-to-make casserole using mostly pantry staples like canned vegetables, pasta, and a creamy sauce. Tender marinated chicken is combined with rigatoni, mushrooms, green beans, and onions, then baked with a cheesy topping for a family-friendly meal.

Rigatoni with Vodka Tomato Sauce

In my opinion, this is the most decadent, rich and scrumptious pasta dish and one of my all-time favorites (I originally got this recipe from a Bon Appetit magazine many, many years ago). Very easy to prepare and always a hit.

White Bean & Sausage Rigatoni

Note: red wine broth can be used in place of chicken

Italiani's Country Rigatoni

Country rigatoni tosses pasta with cannellini bean broth, chicken, Italian sausage, escarole, broccoli, and Parmesan. A rustic Tuscan-style pasta with soul-warming depth.

Rigatoni with Vodka Tomato Sauce - Bon Appetit

Rigatoni alla vodka with flambed vodka, heavy cream, tomato sauce, prosciutto, and Asiago cheese. A rich, spicy pink sauce tossed with fresh basil and parsley.

All 39 recipes