Pasta Al Forno (Baked Rigatoni with Meat Sauce)
Hearty meat sauce, crisp rigatoni, and melted mozzarella come together beautifully in this easy and comforting Pasta al Forno!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
- salt and pepper to taste
Remaining ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella
- 3/4 cup grated pecorino romano
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 pork and cook until browned. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon or meat masher. Add the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes or until fragrant. Add the hot red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Add the wine to the pan and turn the heat to high. Once the wine reduces by half, turn the heat back down to medium and add the tomatoes. Bring to a lively simmer, then turn the heat to low. Taste test the sauce and season with salt and pepper as required. Let the sauce gently cook on low and move to the next step.
Assembling the pasta 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 4 cups of sauce into a large bowl and add the pasta. Add the Pecorino Romano, and 3/4 of the shredded mozzarella. Mix well.
- Pour the pasta into the baking dish. Top with a thin layer of sauce and the remaining mozzarella. Bake for 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 8 moderate-sized or 6 large portions.
- Undercook the pasta. Fully boiled pasta will become mushy after baking for another 30 minutes, so shoot for a bit firmer than al dente or about 2-3 minutes less than the box instructions.
- Sauce the bottom. Put a hefty layer of the sausage sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to avoid sticking.
- Broil for color. Bake the pasta until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned on top. For extra color, broil for 1-2 minutes, but watch very carefully to avoid burning.
- Leftovers. Pasta al forno can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven. Leftover sauce can be saved or served on the side or used for bread dipping.
Nutrition
Calories: 1041kcal | Carbohydrates: 79.9g | Protein: 64.2g | Fat: 49.8g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 600mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4.5g | Calcium: 594mg | Iron: 10mg
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