Learn the best recipe for pasta la forno (oven-baked pasta) with the 1:1:1 ratio between pasta, cheese, and sauce. With careful baking you will get a pasta that is soft and creamy in the center and crunchy on the top and bottom of the pan.
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INGREDIENT I
The quantity of these ingredients are for a big family like mine leaving also room for some leftover for the next day:
Pasta _____________________1 kg (rigatoni or maccheroni – this is not macaroni!)
Sauce ____________________ 1 kg (400 g bechamel + 600 g tomato pasta sauce)
Cheese ___________________ 1 kg (800 g shredded mozzarella + 200 g grated parmigiano)
Basil ______________________ to taste
Bechamel ingredients:
Whole milk ________________ 500 g
Unsalted butter ____________ 50 g
Flour ______________________ 50 g
Nutmeg ___________________ to taste
Salt _______________________ to taste
You can half these quantities for 4 people. No worries if some pasta is left over. It can be kept in the fridge for a few days or kept frozen for a long time. Pasta al Forno is one of those dishes that tastes even better when it’s eaten on the next day, perhaps because the flavors blend better.
The steps are:
1. Prepare the bechamel
a) Melt the butter in a saucepan
b) Add the flour and mix vigorously. The flour will turn yellow, but don’t make it brown too much.
c) As soon as the flour has absorbed all the butter, turn off the burner and start adding all the milk, which must not be cold, little by little. Remember to keep mixing all the time otherwise lumps will appear.
d) When the milk is completely absorbed, put the béchamel sauce over moderate heat and keep stirring until it reaches a creamy texture as shown in the video.
Note:
– Turn off the béchamel sauce as soon as it comes to a boil, otherwise it will ‘go crazy’, as we way in Italian, that is, it will not thicken again.
– When the bechamel cools down, it becomes thicker. This is normal.
– The béchamel sauce should have a velvety texture, that is, without lumps. To do this you must constantly mix it throughout the cooking process. But if your bechamel is gritty, do not worry, just pass it in a blender.
2. Pour the pasta into a large baking tray. The best are: rigatoni, maccheroni (not macaroni), conchiglioni. Attention: the pasta is put dry and not cooked!
3. Add the grated parmigiano leaving some aside for the final topping.
4. Add the shredded mozzarella and stir.
5. Add bechamel
6. Add the tomato sauce. Leave some for the final topping.
7. Mix
8. Add basil generously. Even thyme would taste fine, if it is fresh!
9. Mix ensuring that all your pasta is well blended with the dressing.
10. Flatten everything and cover with the remaining sauce! Don’t leave any parts uncovered.
11. Sprinkle the remaining grated Parmigiano.
12. Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil. This will retain moisture which helps make pasta cook better.
13. Preheat the oven at 200 degrees Celsius.
14. Bake
15. Remove the foil after 15 minutes
16. Continue to bake for another 15 minutes, or at least until the surface takes on a beautiful amber color, slightly burnt on the most exposed part!
17. Remove from the oven and leave it to cool down. It is important not to leave the pasta in the oven to cool down, else it will overcook.
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