Pasta Al Forno

This pasta is al forno is baked pasta with a bolognese ragu sauce, bechamel, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano. It's baked until the cheese is melted and everything is delicious. You can't go wrong with pasta al forno!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3 45

Servings people

Calories 897kcal

Author Pina Bresciani

Ingredients

For the sauce

1 serving bolognese sauce

For the bechamel

½ cup unsalted butter
⅓ cup flour
1 litre whole milk
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt to taste

For the pasta

750 g rigatoni or penne pasta
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Instructions

Make the sauce according to the bolognese sauce recipe

Make the bechamel

In a pan, melt the butter. Add the flour. Once the flour is mixed in, pour in the milk slowly and whisk while pouring it in.
Add nutmeg and salt. Keep whisking until bechamel has thickened. As it reached the boiling point, it will thicken significantly. Keep whisking for an additional 5-10 minutes. This should take about 20-30 minutes total.

Assemble the pasta bake

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water. Make sure it is very al dente when taken out because the pasta will also cook slightly when baked.
Drain the pasta and place it in a large bowl. Add about ¾ of the sauce and mix well.
Add sauce to the bottom of a large/deep baking dish. Add half the pasta to the dish. Top with half the bechamel, half the mozzarella and half the parmigiano.
Add with remaining pasta, and top with remaining sauce, bechamel, mozzarella, and parmigiano.
Bake at 375°F for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

I typically simmer the bolognese for around 3 hours (as indicated in the recipe), but for this pasta al forno recipe, I simmered the sauce for only about 2 hours, since it will thicken up in the oven.

Nutrition