Baked Pasta (Pasta al Forno)

A spoonful of pasta al forno being lifted from a baking dish on a serving spoon.

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This classic version of pasta al forno, with sturdy pasta, richly flavored meat ragù, béchamel, and cheese, is the ultimate Italian comfort food. It makes a great Sunday dinner for a get-together around the table with family and friends.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time2 10

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian, Italian-American

Servings:

Author: Emily

Ingredients

For the ragù:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 large celery rib, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground meat (a mixture of beef, pork, and pork sausage)
2 bay leaves
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup wine (either white or red)
1 24-ounce jar tomato passata or purée

For the béchamel sauce:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, warmed
Salt
Ground white pepper
Ground nutmeg

For the pasta al forno:

Extra virgin olive oil (to grease baking dish)
1 pound short pasta (rigatoni, penne, or ziti)
Fresh basil
4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
4 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes (or substitute more plain mozzarella)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the ragù. Pour the olive oil into a large, wide saucepan or Dutch oven and add the carrot, celery, and onion, before heating the pan. Set the pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add the ground meat and sausage and stir to break it up and mix them in with the vegetables. Add in the bay leaves. Increase the heat to medium. Sauté the meat until deeply browned, at least 20 minutes and preferably 30 to 45 minutes, for the best flavor. Add a generous pinch each of salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the wine, stirring it into the ground meat mixture and letting it cook for about a minute, until most of it has been absorbed into the meat. Then pour in the tomato passata and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, partly covered, until the sauce is thickened (it should be spoonable but not at all soupy), 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, cover the pan, and set it aside.
Make the béchamel. Warm the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan until the butter is melted. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring vigorously. Gradually whisk in the warmed milk. Cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the béchamel is nicely thickened. It should be smooth and not too thick, definitely not gloppy. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Cover the pan until ready to use.
Parboil the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cook pasta according to package instructions, but remove it from the heat when it is still undercooked—about 3 minutes before al dente doneness. Drain the pasta and place it in a large bowl.
Combine. Spoon half the ragù and half the béchamel over the pasta and gently fold them in. Fold in the mozzarella, torn basil leaves, and about half the grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and season with salt or pepper if needed. Spoon in more ragù if the mixture seems dry.
Bake. Heat the oven to 375° F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil. Spoon in the pasta mixture, spreading it out in the dish. Spoon any remaining ragù and béchamel on top. Sprinkle the surface with the rest of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until you can hear it bubbling and the top is nicely browned and crisp around the edges. Let stand 5 minutes to set slightly before serving.

Notes

Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and pasta used in this recipe.
To Make it Ahead:
- One reason I love this dish is that much of the work can be done in advance. You can make the ragù ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. In fact, like many sauces, the flavor improves if it is allowed to sit for a day or two. Defrost and reheat the ragù before mixing it with the pasta.
- The béchamel can also be made a day or two in advance and refrigerated. Heat it just until warm before using. You may need to stir in a small quantity of milk to thin it out if it’s been refrigerated.
- Finally you can parboil the pasta and assemble the pasta al forno up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate it. Remove it from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking.

Nutrition

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