Tasty baked pasta. Baked pasta is a true delight for the palate and taste buds, a complete meal so rich in ingredients that it could be considered a one-dish meal.

Few ingredients and little effort for a succulent dish, perfect as a first course for a Sunday family lunch, but also suitable for an everyday lunch or dinner.

I’ll explain why I used this pasta shape. I made a shopping list and sent my husband to the store. He read ‘pasta’ and while browsing the shelves, he found this pasta shape, which I must say is very cute, don’t you think?

It has a heart shape and I must say it holds up well during cooking and has a good texture in the mouth.

Anyway, any pasta shape you prefer will work.

With this dish, you can never go wrong! Everyone, both adults and kids, loves it.

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

It is not a quick preparation but not a difficult one either, you just need a bit of organization, and you’ll see, you can even make it on weekdays.

Be careful to drain the pasta very al dente to avoid it becoming overcooked in the oven and let it gratinate well so that it has an appetizing and inviting appearance.

It should be crunchy on the outside and creamy and cheesy inside.

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

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Portions: 4/6
Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All Seasons

Ingredients for the Tasty Baked Pasta

14 oz pasta (heart-shaped or any shape you like)
10.5 oz ricotta
7 oz mozzarella (or provolone cheese)
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese
12 oz mixed ground meat
28 oz tomato puree
carrot (1)
1 stalk celery
1 onion
Half glass dry white wine
salt
pepper
as needed extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
10.5 oz mixed ground meat
2 slices stale bread (crust removed)
1 egg
1.75 oz Parmesan cheese
as needed chopped parsley
salt
pepper
as needed breadcrumbs
as needed peanut oil

Tools

Baking Dish
Frying Pan
Pot
Baking Pan
Absorbent Paper
Colander
Skimmer
Bowl

Steps for the Tasty Baked Pasta

Brown the chopped carrot, celery, and onion in a pan with oil, then add the ground meat, season with salt and cook over medium heat.
(Instead of ground meat, you can use crumbled sausage).
Only after the meat is browned, deglaze with wine and let it evaporate.
(If you want, you can add pieces of meat).
When the wine evaporates, add a tablespoon of tomato paste and stir.
Add the tomato puree, season with salt, cover, and cook for about 1 hour and a half over low heat.
Adjust salt and pepper.
Stir occasionally and if it dries out too much, add a little water (or unsalted broth if you have it).
While the sauce is cooking, 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 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and mix until a homogeneous mixture is formed.
With damp hands, form very small meatballs.
Roll the meatballs in breadcrumbs.
Fry them in peanut oil.
Place the meatballs on absorbent paper and set aside.
Drain and chop the mozzarella into pieces.
Cook the pasta and drain it very al dente.
In a large enough bowl, season the pasta with half of the sauce, add the mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese, and mix.
(Instead of mozzarella, you can also use smoked provolone).
Add the meatballs, but not all of them, save some to sprinkle on top.
Spread a layer of meat sauce in the baking dish before pouring in the pasta.
Cover the pasta with the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and meatballs, along with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for about 25-30 minutes.
If needed, place the baked pasta under the grill for a few minutes.
Let the baked pasta sit out of the oven for about ten minutes before slicing and serving.
Enjoy your meal.