Pasta Al Forno
Every year before the holidays, my college friends all get together to celebrate and see one another. At this point, it’s the only time I see the majority of them between work, spouses, kids, and moving to the ‘burbs. And this past year, I decided to bring some food along - ‘cause that’s kind of my thing! The easiest way to feed a crowd? Baked pasta - or pasta al forno. I made two trays. One with classic marinara sauce like I’m sharing with you today - and one with my butternut squash sauce (which was AMAZING btw). Both dishes went over so well, I knew I had to share it with all of you!
Pasta al forno is essentially the parent of, or the inspiration behind what we call baked ziti in this country. It has it’s origins throughout Italy. “Al forno” simply means oven baked, so technically anything baked in the oven is “al forno” by definition. And so pasta al forno has a few varieties. As always, I encourage you to create your own! The method will work with just about any sauce (I think I would steer clear of a basil pesto though). And you could even use leftover pasta to create the dish - simply mix in the cheeses and bake! Especially if your family isn’t a fan of leftovers! It creates a new presentation.
If you’re starting fresh, the key is to only par-boil the pasta. You only want to cook it for about 5-6 minutes. This will prevent it from becoming completely mushy when it’s cooked again in the oven. From there, toss the pasta with your favorite sauce, layer it into a baking dish with ricotta, parm and shredded mozzarella, and bake! My other little tricks? Add some extra sauce because the oven tends to dry the dish out. When I serve pasta fresh on a plate, I like it lightly sauced, not drowning. But for this dish, more is better. I also don’t completely cover the top with cheese because I love those little crunchy pieces of pasta around the edges! But again, that’s a personal preference! Do you boo!
This dish is perfect for Sunday dinner and then lunches all week. The longer it hangs out in the fridge, the better it gets, in my opinion. So don’t be afraid to make a lot! My recipe makes one pound of pasta, because we’re only two people in my house, and that lasted us till Tuesday. Need more? Double up and make two pounds so you’ll have plenty to serve up during the week! Check out the video and recipe below!
Buon appetito!
Pasta Al Forno
Serves 4
1 lb. rigatoni or other tube shaped pasta (ziti, paccheri, etc)
2 C. marinara sauce
1 lb. fresh ricotta
3/4 C. grated parmesan
1 C. shredded mozzarella
Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon about 1/4 C. of sauce into the bottom of a baking dish and spread evenly. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for about 5-6 minutes. Remove pasta from the water and toss with remaining sauce.
Layer about 1/3 of the pasta into the baking dish. Spoon 1/3 of the ricotta over the pasta (big pieces are fine!). Sprinkle 1/3 of both the parmesan and mozzarella over the pasta. Continue layering in this way until all of the pasta is in the dish.
Top the dish with the last of the parmesan and mozzarella. Cover the dish (either with a lid, or foil) and bake for 30 minutes. For a crispy top, remove the cover after 30 minutes, and return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes. Serve hot with a salad or roasted vegetables.