Baked pasta with meatballs and provola cheese. A rich and tasty first course present on our tables during Sunday lunch or on holidays.

With this dish, I never go wrong! Everyone, both adults and children, loves it.

What I love about this baked pasta is the crunchy pasta crust that forms on top, my husband Massimiliano always asks for that part.

A preparation that is certainly not quick but not difficult either, for which you will just need a little organization, you will see that you will also make it during the week.

Be careful to drain the pasta very al dente to prevent it from overcooking in the oven and then gratinate it well so that it has an appetizing and inviting appearance.

It should be crispy on the outside and creamy and gooey on the inside.

If you want, you can organize yourself by preparing everything the day before and leaving only the task of cooking the pasta and assembling the ingredients before baking on Sunday.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 4/6
Cooking methods: Electric Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

870.83 Kcal

calories per serving

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Energy 870.83 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 61.83 (g) of which sugars 2.36 (g)
Proteins 36.92 (g)
Fat 53.67 (g) of which saturated 17.75 (g)of which unsaturated 26.15 (g)
Fibers 3.07 (g)
Sodium 2,040.69 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 150 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 Pasta with Meatballs

14 oz rigatoni
4.4 oz mozzarella (grams)
4.4 oz smoked provola (or scamorza)
grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz)
1.1 lbs mixed ground meat
3.4 cups tomato puree
carrot
celery
onion
Half glass white wine (dry)
to taste salt
pepper
to taste extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
10.5 oz mixed ground meat
2 slices stale bread
1 egg
1.8 oz grated Parmesan cheese
to taste chopped parsley
salt
pepper
to taste breadcrumbs
to taste peanut oil (for frying)

Tools

Baking Dish
Frying Pan
Casserole
Pot
Absorbent Paper
Colander

Steps for Baked Pasta with Meatballs

Brown the chopped carrot, celery, and onion in a pan with oil, then add the ground meat, salt it, and let it brown over medium heat.
Only after, deglaze with wine and let it evaporate.
(If you want, you can add pieces of meat).
When the wine has evaporated, add a tablespoon of tomato paste and mix.
Add the tomato puree, salt, and cook covered for about 1 hour and a half on low heat.
Adjust salt and pepper.
Stir occasionally, and if it is drying out too much, extend with a little water (or unsalted broth if you have it).
While the sauce cooks, prepare the meatballs.
Soak the bread crumbs in water.
In a bowl, mix the ground meat with 1 egg, grated cheese, squeezed bread crumbs, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
If needed, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and mix until forming a homogeneous mixture.
With wet hands, form very small meatballs.
Roll the meatballs in breadcrumbs.
Fry them in semi oil.
Place the meatballs on absorbent paper and set them aside.
Drain and cut the mozzarella and provola into chunks.
Cook the pasta and drain it very al dente.
In a large enough bowl, season the pasta with half of the sauce, add mozzarella, provola, Parmesan, and mix.
Add the meatballs, but not all of them, keep some to sprinkle on top.
Place a first layer of ragù in the baking dish before pouring in the pasta.
Cover the pasta with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, provola, and meatballs and with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 392°F for about 25/30 minutes.
If necessary, place the baked pasta under the grill for a few minutes.
Let the baked pasta rest outside the oven for about ten minutes before slicing and serving.
Enjoy your meal