Traeger Smoked Meatball Rigatoni is a hearty, rich, pasta dish that is packed full of cheese, meatballs, and delicious marinara. This dish utilized my Traeger Smoked Italian Meatballs, so hopefully you made a big batch of those and have some in the freezer!

Traeger Smoked Meatball Rigatoni

Just in case you all are wondering what kind of week it is around here, I just about published this post with all of the graphics, title, URL, and all mentions included as “rigitoni”.

One of my seven is down with a stomach bug (so the nervous waiting now starts to see who else will get it), and I am flying solo this weekend to try and tackle my mountain sized inbox, laundry pile, and backlog of all the things I need to do that I haven’t had time to do in ages and ages.

Oh, and Googling things like, “Can REAL Christians be depressed?” (answer…all the yup), and “Will gel food coloring come out of carpet?” – asking for a friend.

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All of that stuff is…HARD right now, but you know what isn’t?

This rigatoni.

I was a little skeptical about this, at first. I pulled these meatballs right off of the smoker and put them directly into a big old pot of marinara, and alllllll of that smoke flavor went directly into that pot of sauce. Day one, it was intense. It was a good intense, but if you don’t like smoke flavor this might not be the one for you.

I had a few taste testers outside of the typically party of 9 that tries all of my other recipes here, and they tried this out too. I swore them both to honesty with bribes of goodies and sweet things for some constructive criticism, and surprisingly (to me), I got none. They both loved it!

You need ALL the cheese for this. It really balances the sauce and the hearty meatballs, and make sure to buy a good rigatoni. I really believe that quality pasta made in well-salted water can make or break a dish. Don’t skimp on bargain-brand pasta if you can help it.

Likewise, I’ve said it before and I’ll definitely say it again – get the best canned tomatoes you can get. Or at least buy some that you’d eat on their own. If they wouldn’t taste very good lightly seasoned and tossed with hot pasta without all the rest, they won’t do you ANY favors in a hearty meat sauce.

If you love meatballs, make sure to pop over and check these out too:

Swedish Meatballs
French Onion Stuffed Meatballs
Meatball Stuffed Manicotti
Mini Meatballs with Fresh Herb Marinara

Serve this with Garlic Twisty Bread!

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Yield: 8 people

Smoked Italian Meatball Rigatoni

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Traeger Smoked Meatball Rigatoni is a hearty, rich, pasta dish that is packed full of cheese, meatballs, and delicious marinara.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 small smoked meatballs, {cooked}
• 2 pounds rigatoni, {parboiled}

Sauce

• 2 28 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 2 15 ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon diced garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Cheese

• 2 cups cottage cheese, {4%}
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese, {shredded}

Instructions

1. Place the meatballs and all of the sauce ingredients into a large dutch oven or stock pot. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes.
2. While the sauce is simmering, preheat the oven to 350. 
3. In a large 10x13 baking dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray, dump in the noodles, cottage cheese, and 2 cups of the mozzarella. Pour the sauce in, and stir to combine. 
4. Top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese, and bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and serve hot with garlic bread and salad.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 713Saturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 566mgCarbohydrates: 88gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 33g

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Nicole Johnson

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Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.