BAKED GRATIN PASTA Everyone loves baked pasta, but sometimes I don’t have much time to prepare it, so I go for this white version which is very tasty but much quicker! To prepare this recipe, we can make the béchamel sauce at home by following this recipe or, if you really do not have time, use the ready-made one. In either case, we will bring to the table a main course with an enveloping flavor and in a few minutes, we will make the whole family happy! Now follow me to the kitchen, I’ll explain the recipe for baked gratin pasta!
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 491.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 41.57 (g) of which sugars 2.81 (g)
- Proteins 27.57 (g)
- Fat 23.46 (g) of which saturated 14.05 (g)of which unsaturated 8.40 (g)
- Fibers 2.59 (g)
- Sodium 876.60 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 120 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for baked gratin pasta for 4 people
- 14 oz pasta (I used rigatoni)
- 1 cup béchamel sauce
- 3.5 oz ham (cubed or in strips)
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 7 oz mozzarella (well-drained or 1-2 days old)
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Useful tools for preparing baked gratin pasta
- 1 Baking dish
Preparing baked gratin pasta
To prepare this recipe it won’t take much time, but if you want to get ahead with the steps, you can prepare it and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours, well covered with foil, and then cook it just before serving; I recommend anticipating the cooking no more than 12 hours before baking.
If we are making the béchamel sauce at home, follow the steps indicated in this recipe, otherwise proceed to cook the pasta in slightly salted water, but remember to cook it exactly for half the time indicated on the package, it will continue its cooking in the oven.
Drain the pasta very al dente, then transfer it back to the pot in which it was cooked, add the béchamel sauce (setting aside a little for the bottom of the baking dish and for the surface), mix well, add the cubed ham and diced mozzarella, finally the grated Parmesan cheese and give a last vigorous stir.
Pour a little béchamel sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, add the just-seasoned pasta, level well, and then cover with the remaining béchamel sauce and sprinkle the surface with some breadcrumbs.
Bake in a static oven at 392°F for about 20 minutes or until a nice crust has formed on the surface, and our baked gratin pasta is ready to be served, hot and stringy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here you can find the most frequently asked questions about preparing baked gratin pasta. If you do not find what you are looking for, feel free to write to me!
How can I store it if there are leftovers?
Well covered with foil, it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two days.
And if I want to freeze it?
You can freeze the baked gratin pasta before the oven step. Just take it out the night before and proceed with baking the next day as usual.
What else can I add to make it tastier?
There are many ideas, you can add sautéed mushrooms, peas sautéed in a pan with oil and onion, or crumbled sausage sautéed in a pan.
