Pasta Al Forno

A make-ahead Italian baked pasta with rich meat ragù, creamy béchamel, and melty mozzarella, perfect for feeding a crowd.

By @themediterraneandish

Original recipe source

Cook time: 30 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 0 Extra virgin olive oil
• 0 Carrot
• 0 Celery
• 0 Yellow onion
• 0 Ground meat (a mix of beef, pork, and pork sausage)
• 0 Bay leaves
• 0 Salt
• 0 Black pepper
• 0 Wine (white or red)
• 0 Tomato passata or purée
• 0 Butter
• 0 All-purpose flour
• 0 Milk
• 0 Ground white pepper
• 0 Ground nutmeg
• 0 Short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or ziti)
• 0 Fresh basil
• 0 Mozzarella cheese
• 0 Smoked mozzarella cheese
• 0 Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add finely chopped carrot, celery, and yellow onion to the skillet and sauté until softened.
3. Add ground meat (a mix of beef, pork, and pork sausage) to the skillet and cook until browned.
4. Season the meat with bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Pour in wine (white or red) and let it reduce.
5. Stir in tomato passata or purée and let the ragù simmer until thickened.
6. In a separate saucepan, melt butter and whisk in all-purpose flour to create a roux.
7. Gradually add milk to the roux, whisking constantly until the béchamel sauce is smooth and thickened. Season with ground white pepper and ground nutmeg.
8. Cook short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or ziti) according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
9. In a large baking dish, layer the cooked pasta with the ragù, béchamel sauce, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese, and smoked mozzarella cheese (optional).
10. Top the pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and bake in a preheated oven until the top is golden and crispy.