This classic Italian dish is a hearty and comforting pasta bake, perfect for feeding a crowd. It’s made with ziti or rigatoni pasta, tomato sauce, ground beef, and a creamy and cheesy bechamel sauce.
Pasta al forno (Baked Pasta)
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ziti or rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 jar of tomato sauce
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
- Add the tomato sauce to the skillet and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk it together to form a roux.
- Slowly add the milk to the roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Continue to cook the bechamel sauce until it thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- When the pasta is done cooking, drain it and toss it with the Parmesan cheese.
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the meat sauce and stir to combine.
- Grease a large baking dish and add the pasta and meat sauce mixture to it.
- Pour the bechamel sauce over the pasta and meat sauce mixture, spreading it evenly.
- Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top of the bechamel sauce.
- Bake the pasta al forno in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the pasta is hot and cooked through.
- Let the pasta al forno cool for a few minutes before serving.
