Tomato Bacon Rigatoni Recipe (Video)

This is the best Rigatoni Recipe with a cheesy tomato and bacon sauce. The tomatoes, bacon, cheese, and garlic make a rich and flavorful sauce to coat the rigatoni pasta! It’s a perfect fast and easy pasta recipe for a weeknight dinner or any time. Whenever I make this, my kids always get seconds or ask me to make it again the next day.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This rigatoni pasta dish is inspired by the classic Rigatoni alla Amatriciana, a beloved Italian recipe that features pasta tossed in a simple yet flavorful sauce. Traditionally made with guanciale (cured pork), San Marzano tomatoes, and pecorino cheese, this version keeps the essence of the dish while making it more approachable with easy-to-find ingredients.

The homemade tomato sauce is the real star here—rich, bold, and deeply flavorful. It’s made with caramelized onions, crispy bacon, fresh garlic, basil, and plenty of cheese, all simmered together in a velvety tomato base. Though the ingredients are simple, they create a perfectly balanced sauce that coats every bite of pasta beautifully.

Speaking of pasta, rigatoni is the ideal choice for this dish. The ridges and hollow center help trap all that savory, cheesy goodness, ensuring that every forkful is packed with flavor.

✨ Creamy, cheesy sauce + the perfect pasta shape = pure comfort food perfection!

Ingredients for the Rigatoni Pasta:

• Rigatoni Pasta: the shape and size of this pasta are perfect for the thickness of this sauce. If you don’t have rigatoni, penne or fusilli are also excellent choices.
• Bacon: I know this is not traditional in the tomato sauce recipe, but believe me when I say it’s a game changer. It adds meatiness and richness without being overpowering. If you’d go without, use four tablespoons of butter instead of bacon and caramelize the onions in the butter.
• Canned Tomatoes: I use canned pureed tomato sauce to speed up the process. But you can use crushed tomatoes or even whole canned tomatoes if you’d like to use a blender to help you smooth out the sauce.
• Onions: This rigatoni recipe uses yellow onion, but white onion also works. I like to caramelize my onions to get the most flavor from them.
• Dried basil is a classic ingredient in tomato sauce and complements the other flavors well. You can use fresh or dried basil.
• Garlic: I really enjoy the taste of fresh garlic in this sauce. I add it at the end of cooking to keep its flavor. If you don’t like that, you can add it earlier in the cooking or substitute it with 1 teaspoon of dried garlic.
• Parmesan cheese: I use mild parmesan in this dish. I like to use more of it for better flavor and cheesiness. Use your favorite grated parmesan or pecorino and adjust the amount to your preference.

How to make the Rigatoni Pasta

1. Boil rigatoni pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
2. Chop bacon. Crisp up in a pan. Remove bacon bits to a bowl.
3. Caramelize onions in bacon fat. Remove the onions to the bowl with bacon. Discard fat.
4. Add tomato sauce, bacon, tomatoes, black pepper, dried basil, heavy cream and simmer to thicken.
5. Add cheese and minced garlic. Stir. Then, taste for salt and season to taste.
6. Combine: Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add pasta water to thin the sauce if needed.
7. Garnish with more cheese and fresh basil.

Can You Make Rigatoni Pasta Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This dish reheats beautifully, making it a great meal prep option. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat on the stove with a splash of cream or water.

Want to see other pasta recipes you’ll love? Check these out!

• Homemade Pasta Recipe 
• Baked Feta Pasta with Tomatoes
• Homemade Pasta in Sweet Cream Sauce (this dessert pasta recipe will surprise you with how good it is!)

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Rigatoni Recipe with Tomatoes Garlic and Bacon

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Saucy, Cheesy this Rigatoni Recipe is loaded with flavor! The sauce is rich but so quick to make. You'll love how easy and delicious this tomato pasta is.

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: Entree

Keyword: rigatoni pasta, tomato pasta

Calories: 655 kcal

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 4 qt water for boiling the pasta
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

Rigatoni Pasta Sauce

• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1 cup yellow onion diced
• 28-30 oz tomato sauce
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp black ground pepper
• 1-2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Garnish

• fresh basil
• parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

Cook the pasta

1. Bring 4 qt water to a rolling boil. Add 1 lb rigatoni pasta and 1 tbsp kosher salt and cook according to package instructions until the pasta is al dante (tender but firm to the bite).

   Once cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.

Rigatoni Pasta Sauce

1. Render bacon

   Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.

   Chop 1/2 lb bacon into small dice.

   Add the bacon and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently to render the fat and crisp up the bacon, about 7-8 minutes.

   Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl.

2. Caramelize the onions:

   Meanwhile, peel and chop 1 cup yellow onion into small dice.

   Add the diced onions to the bacon grease and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelized.

   Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions into the same bowl as the bacon.

   Discard the bacon fat.

3. To the same skillet, add the 28-30 oz tomato sauce, bacon, onions, 1/2 tsp black ground pepper, 1 tsp dried basil, and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Stir until combined and bring it to a gentle simmer. Keep simmering until slightly thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat, then add 3 cloves garlicinto the sauce, and 1-2 cups shredded parmesan cheese. Gently stir to melt the cheese.

5. Taste, then season with up to 1 tsp kosher salt. Remember that depending on how aged the parmesan cheese is, it will add more or less saltiness to the sauce.

Combine the sauce and pasta

1. Add the pasta to the finished sauce and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, to thin down the sauce.

   Garnish with fresh fresh basil and more shredded parmesan cheese if desired.

2. Serve warm right away.

Nutrition Facts

Rigatoni Recipe with Tomatoes Garlic and Bacon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 655 Calories from Fat 261

% Daily Value*

Fat 29g45%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Trans Fat 0.05g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 10g

Cholesterol 62mg21%

Sodium 3434mg149%

Potassium 1159mg33%

Carbohydrates 77g26%

Fiber 7g29%

Sugar 14g16%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 1639IU33%

Vitamin C 22mg27%

Calcium 250mg25%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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