The rich sauce has that comforting, traditional Italian taste thanks to the carrots and other vegetables, and the rigatoni noodles are perfect for capturing a nice helping of ragù with every bite.
I made this dish for friends who thought the pasta was worth the wait.
“The dish reminded me of a cross between Bolognese and a baked ziti!” my friend Sara said. “Definitely a labor of love but, to someone not cooking, highly worth it!”
My sous chef, Zach, also loved the taste, although he didn’t agree that it was worth the extra effort in the kitchen.
“As Prue would say on ‘The Great British Bake-off,’ it was worth the calories — but I wouldn’t say it was worth the time,” he said. “While it was definitely fun cooking it, I think you could genuinely make a dish that was 90% as good with just focusing on the ragù and broiling the pasta, versus fully baking it.”
Next time I make this dish, I’ll follow Garten’s tip to make the ragù a day in advance — which you can refrigerate before baking and serving.
Get the full recipe for Ina Garten’s baked rigatoni with lamb ragù here.
