Pasta al Forno (Oven Baked Pasta)

User Reviews

4.8

66 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    30 mins

  • Cook Time

    30 mins

  • Total Time

    1 hr

  • Servings

    6 servings

  • Calories

    369 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Italian

Pasta al Forno (Oven Baked Pasta)

A quality Italian recipe for baked pasta. No premade jars of sauce, "Italian Seasoning or fake cheese involved.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 1 lb pasta (high quality, I used orecchiette, short penne or mezzi rigatoni also work well)
  • 1 recipe of tomato sauce made with mini-meatballs (or tomato sauce and mini-meatballs, or omit for vegetarian - recipe links in NOTES)
  • 6 oz mozzarella cheese (diced)
  • 1 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (or Pecorino Romano, grated, to taste)
  • ½ Meatball Recipe (see notes - optional)
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Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, but drain the water, reserving at least 1 ½ cups (355 ml), 4 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time (for example, the orechiette cooking time was 11 minutes and I cooked them for 7 minutes).
  2. Add some sauce and meatballs and some of the pasta water and mix well.
  3. Continue to add the sauce and water until it is no longer dry, and has a good amount of sauce (I added over one cup of water; remember the pasta is still undercooked and will absorb quite a bit of liquid).
  4. Toss in the diced mozzarella, stir well and put into a baking dish.
  5. Bake in a preheated 400℉/ 200℃ degree oven for 20 minutes, covered with a lid.
  6. Remove the lid, sprinkle with grated cheese, and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the top of the pasta.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then serve.

Notes

  • When making the meatballs, I like to use a combination of meat: I used organic ground beef, ground pork and ground chicken. Recipe on my blog, as well as homemade tomato sauce recipe.
  • mini meatball recipe
  • pasta sauce recipe

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1 Calories 369kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 57g (19%) Protein 16g (32%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 23mg (8%) Sodium 196mg (8%) Potassium 191mg (5%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 198IU (4%) Calcium 169mg (17%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 369 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 369kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 57g 19%
Protein 16g 32%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 196mg 8%
Potassium 191mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 198IU 4%
Calcium 169mg 17%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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Overall Rating

4.8

66 reviews
Excellent

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