Pasta al Forno
Pasta al forno (or ziti al forno) is a hearty Italian classic perfect for family gatherings! With tender pasta, rich tomato sauce, savory beef, creamy ricotta, and melty mozzarella. It bakes to golden perfection — all in under an hour!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 523kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cip onion, finely diced (1 small onion)
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 28 ounce cans Crushed Tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup Romano cheese, grated or shredded, or Parmesan
Optional ricotta mixture
- 8 ounces Ricotta cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Romano cheese, grated or shredded, or Parmesan
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and bring a large pot of hot water to a boil and salt the water liberally once boiling.
- Once heated add onions and a garlic to the pan with the oil and saute stirring often for 2-3 minutes stirring often to soften it- be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add ground beef and saute until brown, using a wooden spoon to break it up, around 5 minutes. Drain if needed.
- Add 2 cans Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes Chunky with Basil, baking soda, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- While sauce simmers, boil ziti 3 minutes less than the package directions for al dente and drain. Immediately return to the pot.
- Place a couple spoonfuls of sauce at the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.
- Mix ¾ of the sauce with the pasta until well combined. If using ricotta, mix all ricotta mixture ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Place ½ the pasta mixture into the 9" x 13" baking pan. If using ricotta, add dollops of ricotta mixture evenly over the top of the pasta.
- Layer the remaining pasta evenly over the pan and top with remaining sauce.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Bake uncovered for another 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubble. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Skip the sugar and use baking soda instead. To cut back on the natural acid that that tomatoes bring to the table, I add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. I know that might sound weird, but this was my Grandma’s secret tip to making the perfect sauce. Trust me, it works! (note- skip this step if you're using my homemade marinara for this)
- Cook your pasta slightly al dente. Follow the package instructions, but reduce the cooking time by about 3 minutes. This prevents the pasta from overcooking, as it will continue to cook while baking.
- Don’t rinse the pasta! The starch left on the pasta helps the sauce stick better, making each bite extra flavorful.
- Bake this covered for the first part of the cooking time to help bring it to temp quicker, then remove the cover and add the shredded cheese for the remaining cooking time so it still gets that amazing crust we all fight over.
- The ricotta is an optional addition. I like it because it adds a creamy quality. You can also mix it right in with the sauce and pasta, but feel free to omit it if you don’t want the creaminess. Personally, I think it make it so much better!
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Chop onion, peel garlic, shred the cheese, and even cook the sauce a day ahead to save time when assembling.
- Leftovers and storage- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 345mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 2mg