Oven-Baked PASTA that both adults and kids love: a comfort food to try right away!

Hello everyone and welcome! Today we are making delicious baked pasta together, an easy and meatless recipe perfect for Sundays or office lunches.
⬇️ SEE THE FULL RECIPE ⬇️
✅ Ingredients
▶️ For the sauce…
- 500 g of tomato puree
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil
- A few fresh basil leaves
- Half a white onion
▶️ For the pasta…
- 500 g of short pasta
- 200 g of fior di latte mozzarella balls
- 60 g of Parmigiano Reggiano
- 200 ml of béchamel sauce
- 3-4 hard-boiled eggs
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
✅ Initial preparations…
- In a saucepan, bring salted water to a boil; this will be for cooking the pasta.
- In a small pot, boil the eggs, and once hard-boiled, peel and cut them into pieces.
- Cook the pasta and drain it while still very al dente.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
✅ Preparing the sauce
- In a saucepan, add half an onion to some EVO oil and let it brown.
- Once well browned, add the tomato puree and let it cook for a few minutes.
- Add basil, adjust with salt and pepper, and after a few minutes, add some room-temperature water.
- Lower the heat to a minimum and let it cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 30-40 minutes.
✅ Preparing our pasta…
- Place the pasta in a bowl and mix it with a ladle of the freshly prepared sauce.
- Add a handful of Parmigiano Reggiano, a pinch of nutmeg, and some pepper to taste.
- Add another ladle of sauce and mix well.
- Finally, add a few tablespoons of béchamel sauce and mix.
✅ Ready for the oven…
- In a baking dish, prepare a base of sauce and béchamel and mix them together.
- Lay down a first layer of pasta.
- Add a layer of hard-boiled eggs.
- Add a good amount of whole mozzarella balls. Don’t let them touch the edges, as they would burn during baking.
- Add a few tablespoons of béchamel and cover with sauce.
- Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano, nutmeg, and pepper.
- Repeat for the second layer: pasta, sauce, eggs, etc., and this time cut the mozzarella balls into slices.
- Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and pepper.
✅ In the oven…
- Bake in a fan-assisted oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 25 minutes or in a conventional oven at 190°C (375°F) for the same time.
- If you like a crusty top, give it an additional 5 minutes under the grill.
- Remove our delicious pasta from the oven, plate it, and serve it hot and steaming.
✅ Tips
- I used tortiglioni, but other short pasta shapes work as well.
- For a spicier taste, you can add hot chili pepper to the sauce.
- Baked pasta can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days; wrap them in plastic food wrap.
- If you love meat, when preparing the sauce, you can add 300 g of mixed minced meat (beef and pork) to the oil and onion sauté before adding the tomato puree. In that case, the sauce should cook for at least an hour.
What do you think of this Baked pasta recipe? Doesn’t it look irresistible? If you liked it, subscribe to the channel so you won’t miss out on the next delicious and easy-to-make recipes. And remember, you can always customize this recipe according to your tastes and needs. Get creative and add the ingredients you prefer! Enjoy your meal!
If you have questions or suggestions, leave a comment below.
Thanks for following and see you next time 🥂!
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