The baked pasta is definitely one of those preparations that best represents Italian cuisine worldwide. A comforting dish usually prepared for convivial occasions such as Sunday family lunch or during various holidays.
Besides being delicious, I personally find it very convenient, especially when you have guests and do not want to stay at the stove or when you have little time to prepare a full lunch at the last minute. In fact, baked pasta can be easily prepared in advance and then cooked or reheated just before eating.
The versions of baked pasta are practically endless; you can prepare it with different types of meat, seasonal vegetables, only cheeses, with or without béchamel, in white or red, you just need to play with your imagination to have a super delicious dish every time.
The version I propose today is what I call “classic” and it is the most popular in our house, that is, with ground meat ragù, béchamel, and mozzarella.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then let’s COOK and EAT!!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 carrot (small)
- 1 onion (small)
- 1 stalk celery
- Half glass white wine
- 12 oz mixed ground meat (beef and pork)
- 24.5 oz tomato puree
- 1 cup béchamel
- 1.75 oz grated Parmesan
- 10.5 oz mozzarella
- 1.1 lbs pasta
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Food Scale
- 1 Vegetable Peeler
- 1 Knife
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Pot
- 1 Colander
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Grater
- 1 Bowl
Steps
To prepare the classic baked pasta, start with making the ragù.
Wash, peel, and chop the carrot, onion, and celery into small pieces.
In a saucepan, heat a base of oil and sauté the chopped celery, carrots, and onions, then add the ground meat and brown it. Then deglaze with the wine, and when the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomato puree, salt, cover with a lid, and let it cook for an hour, stirring occasionally.
When the sauce is almost ready, bring plenty of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Once drained, collect it in a large bowl and dress it with the meat ragù, béchamel, cheese, and chopped mozzarella. If you like, you can prepare the béchamel at home following this recipe, but only use half the dose.
Mix well to ensure the pasta is evenly coated.
At this point, transfer the pasta to a baking dish, compact it well, and spread a few tablespoons of béchamel you kept aside and some grated cheese on the surface.
Advice
If you have leftover baked pasta, you can choose to freeze it or keep it in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to eat, reheat it in a pan with a knob of butter.
If you have leftover baked pasta, you can choose to freeze it or keep it in the fridge for up to two days. When ready to eat, reheat it in a pan with a knob of butter.
