One-Pot Chili Rigatoni

Weeknights are crazy busy at our home. Between my shuttling my oldest daughter to and from work and taking Bridget to her piano or swimming lessons, I feel like I’m constantly in a rush! That’s why it’s so important to me that I have a some quick, easy and delicious meal ideas in my recipe “tool belt”. I need meals that can be prepared from start to finish in less than 30 minutes like this simple recipe for One-Pot Chili Rigatoni. They also need to be ones that my family will eat and enjoy. Our brood has a couple picky eaters!

I’ve partnered with Ragú to share some simple, tasty recipes suitable for those busy nights when you need to get dinner on the table quickly. One-pot pasta recipes fit the bill perfectly. Not only are the fast to make and cook entirely in one pot, but they also won’t take you much time to clean up. No one wants to spend an hour cleaning the kitchen after dinner. I know I sure don’t!

The beauty of one-pot pasta recipes is that they don’t require much prep work. It’s basically just throwing your ingredients in a pot and letting your stove do the rest of the work. I like them because the noodles cook right in the sauce. No boiling water. No draining the pasta. No hassle.

One-Pot Chili Rigatoni

My mom used to make chili all the time when we were growing up. Her recipe inspired me to create this One-Pot Chili Rigatoni. It’s made with your basic chili ingredients like ground beef, kidney beans and chili powder combined with the smooth flavour of Ragú Old World Style Traditional Sauce, melted cheddar cheese and tender rigatoni noodles. It’s a hearty meal that can be on the table ready for your family to eat in under 30 minutes.

You may already have the ingredients in your fridge and pantry right now. If you do, make it! Serioiusly. John couldn’t get enough of it and said it was one of the best meals I’ve made. He’s vocal about his likes and dislikes so coming from him that means a lot to me!

I cooked everything in a Dutch oven right on my stove. The first task is to brown your ground beef along with your onions and green peppers (if you use them).

Dump your Ragú sauce, kidney beans and spices in the pot and give it a good stir.

I also add some beef broth since I’m cooking the noodles right in the pot. It may look a little soupy at first, but don’t worry because it will thicken up.

I used Rigatoni noodles, but any type of pasta will work. The noodles will cook right in the sauce.

I normally look at the package directions on the type of noodles you are using and use that number as a guide for how long they need to cook in the sauce for. Smaller noodles won’t need to be in there as long while thicker ones will require some extra time. Use your best judgment and feel free to taste test!

Once your noodles are cooked, remove the pot from the heat and stir in that mound of cheese. The mixture is hot so the cheese will melt right in.

Now this is comfort food! It smells so good.

I garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a little bit of green onion. It’s totally optional, but it sure tastes good.

For more mouthwatering pasta recipes, check out my One-Pot Pasta Recipes Pinterest board and watch for two more one-pot pasta recipes coming up here on my blog. I can’t wait to share them with you!

If you’re in the mood for more, both the Simply Stacie Pinterest page and the Ragú Pinterest profile (with the help of some amazing pinners) are spending this month collecting the most delicious One Pot Pasta Recipes out there. I invite you to come find your favorites!

How often do you make one-pot pastas?

Like this recipe? Pin it! 

Yield: 4

One-Pot Chili Rigatoni

Prep Time:5 minutes

Cook Time:25 minutes

Total Time:30 minutes

Get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes with this hearty One-Pot Chili Rigatoni recipe!

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ lb ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup kidney beans, cooked, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups rigatoni pasta, uncooked
• 1 jar Ragú® Old World Style® Traditional Sauce
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• ½ tsp cumin
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
• Sour cream and chopped green onions for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Add ground beef, onion and green pepper (if using) to a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook, stirring often to break up the beef, for about 5 minutes or until beef is browned. Drain excess fat.
2. Add in Ragu Old World Style Traditional Sauce, kidney beans, spices and stir to combine. Then stir in beef broth and rigatoni. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium.
3. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through.
4. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded cheese.
5. Serve hot and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and green onions, if desired.