Have you ever wondered how to make baked pasta? If you know how to boil water, you can make this classic Italian recipe for pasta al forno, aka baked pasta. Get ready for the ultimate comfort food!
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Introduction
What do you think stuffed pasta shells, lasagna, and baked ziti have in common?
If you said they are some of the best baked pasta dishes for a Sunday dinner, you would be right!
In Italian, they are referred to as pasta al Forno recipes which translate into oven-baked pasta recipes.
As is usually the case in Italian regional cuisine, there are endless variations.
In this easy baked pasta dish, cooked penne pasta is combined with ground meat, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, grated cheese, herbs and spices. Topping the dish with additional cheese provides a creamy pasta dish without cream or bechamel sauce.
Are you ready to make this Italian baked pasta recipe?
Quick recipe summary
If making everything from scratch, here is a quick summary:
- Grate the cheese and chop anything that needs to be chopped i.e., onions, garlic, parsley, basil, etc…
- Next, start the tomato sauce since it needs to simmer for about 30 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, saute the vegetables and the meat; once sauteed, add to the tomato sauce.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta. Slightly undercook the pasta.
- Add 1-2 cups of the pasta water to the tomato meat sauce.
- Assemble the recipe (refer to details below).
- Taste throughout this whole process to adjust seasonings.
- Bake and enjoy!
Mise en place
Assembling this recipe is easy, but first, let’s coordinate the three sections. Remember to taste throughout the stages of preparation and adjust accordingly.
The Tomato Sauce: For this recipe, you require a tomato or Marinara Sauce. You will need approximately 3-3½ cups. I used half of the amount of my quick tomato sauce recipe.
If it is more convenient for you, use your favorite commercial brand.
Whatever sauce you are using, you need to add about 1-2 cups of the pasta water while the sauce is simmering.
The Meat Mixture: Sauté the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until beginning to soften (3-4 minutes).
Add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, a few pinches of red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper to taste, and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
Add one pound (454 grams) of lean minced meat (ground beef, chicken, veal, or sausage). Saute and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until cooked for about 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Turn the heat to medium-high and de-glaze pan with a couple of tablespoons of white wine.
Drain the fat and add to the simmering pot of tomato sauce.
Boil the Pasta: Bring a large pot of cold water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add one pound (500grams) of short pasta with ridges to the boiling water. Since the pasta will continue to cook in the oven, cook according to package directions to al dente, minus 3-4 minutes. Penne, rigatoni, or ziti are all great options.
Note: Add 1-2 cups of the pasta water to the tomato meat sauce. The goal is to have a very “loose” sauce. The pasta will absorb the extra liquid as it is baking.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the oven grate in the center.
Place the drained, cooked pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato meat sauce and mix thoroughly.
Add a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese, 4 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese, a few tablespoons of each Italian flat-leaf parsley and freshly chopped fresh basil. Mix thoroughly together.
Place the mixture in a 13 x 9″ baking dish—top with grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese and 4 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese.
As you can see, I used fresh buffalo mozzarella.
Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes until heated through—taste for doneness.
Place under broiler for a couple of minutes or until the cheese becomes bubbly and begins to turn golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Garnish with extra grated cheese and chopped parsley.
Tips
- Taste throughout the preparation and adjust accordingly.
- Reduce the total boiling time of the pasta by 3-4 minutes to avoid getting overcooked pasta noodles.
- This pasta recipe works with any lean ground meat (chicken, veal, beef or sausage.)
- Add 1-2 cups of pasta water to the tomato/meat sauce. This is absorbed by the pasta when it is baking.
- Allow the casserole dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
FAQs
Short pasta with deep ridges such as penne, rigatoni, or ziti.
Serve this Pasta al Forno recipe with garlic bread and this simple green salad.
Easy pasta dishes we love
- Broccoli and Cavatelli
- Spaghetti Pasta Recipe
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Spicy Penne all’ Arrabbiata
- Cavatelli with Tomato Ricotta Sauce
- Broccoli Rabe Cavatelli Pasta
- Roasted Vegetable Pasta
- Easy Tortellini Recipe
Recipe inspiration
Growing up Italian meant we would have pasta recipes three times a week-Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. No exceptions.
My mom would often make this pasta al forno recipe with sauteed Italian sausage as I recall. There were never any leftovers when she would serve this for Sunday dinner.
One would assume, and rightly so, that oven-baked dishes were a family favorite –baked spaghetti, lasagna, cannelloni, manicotti, and Italian stuffed shells with different combinations of meat, cheese, and sausage. Naturally made with homemade tomato sauce.
If you would like to see how to make this Italian dish, head on over to my YouTube Channel.
Just click on the following link and be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel as my friend Carlo (a professional chef) and I plan to share more wonderful recipes with all of you!
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Buon appetito,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian pasta bake, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
How to Make Baked Pasta
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce:
- ½ Tomato Sauce recipe 3-3½ cups
Meat Mixture:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic fresh, chopped
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 pound lean ground meat 454 grams, chicken, veal, beef or sausage
- 2 tablespoons white wine to deglaze pan
Short Ridged Pasta:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound dry short ridged pasta 500grams
To assemble:
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese separated, grated, plus more to garnish
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese separated, freshly grated
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley fresh, chopped
- 2 tablespoons basil fresh, chopped
Topping:
- Italian flat leaf parsley to garnish, fresh, chopped
- Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the Tomato Sauce. If more convenient can use commercial.
Make the meat mixture:
- While the tomato sauce is simmering, sauté the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until beginning to soften (3-4 minutes).
- Add 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic, a few pinches of red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste, and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes stirring frequently.
- Add the lean minced meat. Saute and break up the meat with a wooden spoon. Cook until cooked through about 5-7 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Turn the heat to medium-high. De-glaze pan with 2 tablespoons of white wine.
- Drain the fat from the meat and add to the simmering pot of tomato sauce.
Boil the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta.
- Cook according to the package instructions minus 3-4 minutes since the pasta continues to bake in the oven.
- Note: Add 1-2 cups of the pasta water to the tomato meat sauce. The goal is to have a very “loose” sauce. The pasta will absorb the extra liquid.
To Assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the oven grate in the center.
- Place the drained pasta in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato meat sauce and mix together thoroughly.
- Add 2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese, 4 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley and 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped basil. Mix thoroughly together.
- Place the mixture in a 13 x 9″ baking dish. Top with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese or Pecorino Romano Cheese, and 4 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese.
- Place in a preheated oven and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Taste for doneness.
- Place under broiler for a couple of minutes or until the cheese becomes bubbly and begins to turn golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and extra grated cheese.
Notes
- Taste throughout the preparation and adjust accordingly.
- Reduce the total boiling time of the pasta by 3-4 minutes to avoid getting overcooked pasta noodles.
- This pasta recipe works with any lean ground meat (chicken, veal, beef or sausage.
- Add 1-2 cups of pasta water to the tomato/meat sauce. This is absorbed by the pasta when it is baking.
- Allow the casserole dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on February 8, 2020 and republished on April 21, 2021 with updated content. Thanks for sharing!
Gilda
Could I add ricotta to this recipe?
Maria
Yes, that would be a great addition! Enjoy Gilda!
Val
This is such a great recipe! I had the leftovers the next day and they were just as good. Great recipe. Thanks Maria!
Maria
How wonderful Val! Glad you liked it!