Rigatoni with Meat Sauce Recipe

This Rigatoni with Meat Sauce recipe brings together ground beef, finely chopped vegetables, red wine, San Marzano tomatoes, fresh herbs, Parmesan, and basil for a rich, comforting pasta dinner. Featured on Gusto TV’s Bring on the Karbs, this recipe from Erica and Josh Karbelnik is a hearty Sunday dinner dish with classic Italian-inspired flavour and a deeply satisfying sauce.

The Inspiration

Rigatoni with meat sauce is the kind of dish that immediately feels like home. It is hearty, generous, aromatic, and built around ingredients that become better as they simmer together. The inspiration behind this dish comes from classic Italian and Italian-American meat sauces, where ground meat, aromatics, tomatoes, wine, herbs, and pasta come together in a comforting bowl. The sauce starts with a vegetable base of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, which is similar to a traditional soffritto.

On Bring on the Karbs, Erica and Josh Karbelnik bring a fun, improvised, flavour-forward energy to cooking. All recipes featured in this episode were improvised by Josh and Erica Karbelnik, and this written version is an approximation of what unfolded during the episode. That spirit of experimentation is part of the charm. This is not a rigid, overly formal pasta recipe; it is a warm, generous meat sauce meant to be cooked with confidence, tasted as it simmers, and finished with fresh Parmesan and basil.

Ingredients

1 lb (454 g) ground beef
1 onion
1 carrot
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp (5 ml) red chili flakes
1/2 tbsp (2.5 ml) onion powder
1/2 tbsp (2.5 ml) garlic powder
1 (28 oz or 828 ml) can crushed san Marzano tomatoes
1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
1/2 cup (118 ml) red wine
1 box rigatoni pasta
1 bunch fresh basil
1 bunch fresh oregano
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
2 cups (473 ml) water
Parmesan
Basil to garnish

Method

Place onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
In a deep saucepan, add olive oil and ground beef and break up the beef. Cook until browned.
Stir in the onion, garlic, celery, and carrot, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili flakes. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
Add in tomato paste. Deglaze with red wine and cook off the alcohol.
Add crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt to taste and cook down until thickened. Add water to loosen the sauce if needed.
Cook Rigatoni until al dente. In a separate pan, mix pasta with meat sauce. Plate pasta and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and basil leaves.

Serving Suggestions

For a larger meal inspired by Bring on the Karbs, serve this pasta alongside marinated olives, feta, and anchovies as a starter, followed by roasted chicken or a bright salad for contrast. A glass of red wine, sparkling water with lemon, or a citrus-forward cocktail can complement the tomato-rich sauce and the gentle heat from the chili flakes.

Plate it individually for a polished dinner-party feel, or bring the pasta to the table in a serving dish so guests can help themselves. The combination of rigatoni, meat sauce, Parmesan, and basil creates a warm, inviting meal that encourages lingering, sharing, and second helpings.

This recipe is also excellent for cozy weeknight comfort when you want something satisfying and homemade. The sauce can be served as the main event with pasta, but it also fits into a broader Italian-inspired dinner with antipasti, roasted vegetables, simple greens, and bread.

Final Thoughts

This Rigatoni with Meat Sauce recipe is a celebration of classic comfort food, bringing together ground beef, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, red chili flakes, tomato paste, red wine, crushed San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, fresh oregano, Parmesan, and rigatoni pasta. It is hearty, rich, and deeply flavourful, with a sauce that clings beautifully to every ridge and hollow of the pasta. For anyone searching for an easy meat sauce recipe, a Sunday dinner pasta recipe, or a comforting rigatoni recipe with beef, this dish delivers bold flavour with familiar ingredients.

Find more recipes from Bring on the Karbs! here!