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pasta al forno

Pasta al Forno (Oven Baked Pasta)

Course Main Courses
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6 servings
Calories 369
Author Christina Conte
A quality Italian recipe for baked pasta. No premade jars of sauce, "Italian Seasoning or fake cheese involved.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pasta (high quality, I used orecchiette, short penne or mezzi rigatoni also work well)
  • 1 recipe of tomato sauce made with mini-meatballs (or tomato sauce and mini-meatballs, or omit for vegetarian - recipe links in NOTES)
  • 6 oz mozzarella cheese (diced)
  • 1 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or Pecorino Romano, grated, to taste)
  • ½ meatball recipe (see notes - optional)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, but drain the water, reserving at least 1 ½ cups (355 ml), 4 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time (for example, the orechiette cooking time was 11 minutes and I cooked them for 7 minutes).
  • Add some sauce and meatballs and some of the pasta water and mix well.
  • Continue to add the sauce and water until it is no longer dry, and has a good amount of sauce (I added over one cup of water; remember the pasta is still undercooked and will absorb quite a bit of liquid).
  • Toss in the diced mozzarella, stir well and put into a baking dish.
  • Bake in a preheated 400℉/ 200℃ degree oven for 20 minutes, covered with a lid.
  • Remove the lid, sprinkle with grated cheese, and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the top of the pasta.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then serve.

Notes

  • When making the meatballs, I like to use a combination of meat: I used organic ground beef, ground pork and ground chicken. Recipe on my blog, as well as homemade tomato sauce recipe.
  • mini meatball recipe
  • pasta sauce recipe

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 369kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 1mg
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