Pasta al Forno
(Baked Pasta)
from Italian Traditional Food

Pasta al Forno is an economical but very tasty meal

Pasta al Forno (baked pasta) is a very simple dish to make but most people seem to have forgotten all about it. That is a shame because pasta al forno (baked pasta) is a delicious meal. My version of Pasta al Forno includes using potatoes which makes it even more wholesome and filling! The best type of pasta to use for this dish is "Rigatoni" pasta tubes because Rigatoni pasta tubes hold the sauce better when cooking. If you prefer, you can also use Penne Rigate pasta quills to make this dish. You can make the fresh tomato sauce below or you can use some of the tomato pasta sauce previously made here. Give Pasta al Forno a try, you will like it!

Rigatoni pasta tubes look like this:

Penne Rigate pasta quills look like this:

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Oven Setting: Preheat to 195C (375F) or Gas Mark 5

Ingredients:

1 large onion (finely chopped)
1 celery stick (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (sliced)
parsley (sprig)
1 can of plum tomatoes (chopped)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 oz butter
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
salt and pepper(to taste)
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
500 grams Rigatoni pasta (big tubes)
6 potatoes (thinly sliced)

1 glass of water

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pan.

2. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until lightly browned.

3. Add celery and parsley and allow to mix.

4. Add tomatoes and tomato puree. Mix and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. Heat a large saucepan of water until boiling. Add salt.

6. Put in the pasta and allow to cook for ONLY 3 minutes (it must not cook at this point).

7. Drain pasta.

8. In an ovenproof dish pour in some olive oil to grease all the sides of the dish.

9. Add some of the tomato sauce into the dish.

10. Now add some pasta into the dish.

11. Finished first rigatoni pasta layer.

12. Then add more sauce on top of the pasta.

13. Sprinkle on some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

14. Now add a layer of the thinly sliced potatoes.

15. Sprinkle a little salt onto the potato layer.

16. Add some more tomato sauce to the potato layer.

17. Add second layer of rigatoni pasta tubes.

18. Add more tomato sauce to the pasta layer.

19. Sprinkle on more Parmesan cheese.

20. Add second layer of potatoes.

21. Add more salt to potatoes.

22. Spoon more tomato sauce over the potatoes.

23. Start the final pasta layer.

24. Spoon the tomato sauce over the final pasta layer.

25. Sprinkle a lot of Parmesan cheese over the final pasta layer.

26. Pour in one glass of water to enable the potatoes to cook.

27. Pasta al forno ready for baking.

28. Place the dish into the oven at 195C (375F) or Gas Mark 5 for about 1 hour.

29. Cooked pasta al forno.

Tip:

1. To test the cooking time, use a fork to prick the potatoes. If they are soft then the dish is ready.

Buon appetito!

Locate another Italian Traditional Food recipe here

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