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Anelletti al Forno

Anelletti al forno combines ring-shaped pasta, a cheesy blend of beef, ham, and peas, and hearty tomato sauce that's baked until bubbly and is impossible to resist!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 9
Author: James Delmage

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 medium carrot grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 24-ounce jars passata
  • 3 cups frozen peas
  • salt and pepper to taste

Remaining ingredients

  • 1 pound anelletti can sub penne or ziti
  • 1/2 pound shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 pound shredded caciocavallo
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1/2 pound ham chopped
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the sauce

  • Heat a large pan or pot to medium with the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the beef and cook until browned. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon or meat masher. Add the grated carrot and cook for 3 more minutes.
  • Add the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the wine and turn the heat to high. Cook until most of the wine evaporates then turn the heat down to medium and add the passata. Once the sauce starts simmering, turn the heat to low and mix in the peas.
  • Taste test the sauce and season with salt and pepper if required. Leave the sauce over lower heat while boiling the pasta.

Assembling the anelletti al forno

  • Preheat oven to 375°F and set the rack to the middle level.
  • While the sauce is simmering bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta until 3 minutes less than al dente.
  • If the sauce is too thick, mix in a 1/2-1 cup of water. Prepare a 9x13" baking dish by placing a 1/4-inch thick layer of sauce on the bottom.
  • Place 5 cups of sauce into a large bowl and add the pasta and chopped ham. Mix well.
  • Pour half of the pasta into the baking dish. Top with all of the mozzarella and caciocavallo. Sprinkle half of the pecorino on top and spread a layer of sauce. Spread the remaining pasta on top and spread another layer of sauce and the remaining pecorino cheese.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top. For extra color broil for 1-2 more minutes but watch carefully! Wait at least 10-15 minutes before eating so that the pasta settles. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Servings. Makes 9 moderate-sized or 6 large portions.
  • Boiling the Pasta. Undercook the pasta! Fully boiled pasta will become mushy after baking for another 30 minutes, so shoot for a bit firmer than al dente.
  • Extra sauce.  There will be a bit of extra sauce.  Serve at the table or save for another use.
  • Cheese.  All mozzarella can be used if you can't find caciocavallo.  Scamorza can be subbed for the caciocavallo.
  • Ham.  Deli ham or leftover cooked ham will work for this recipe.
  • Leftovers.  Extra sauce can be saved or served on the side or used for bread dipping.  Anelletti al forno can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.  

Nutrition

Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 66.9g | Protein: 32.8g | Fat: 26.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 557mg | Fiber: 9.9g | Sugar: 14.4g | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 8mg

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