Description
Rustic “hearty baked pasta with minced meat and cheese” delivers comfort straight from Italian kitchens, blending robust flavors and traditional techniques. Melted cheese and savory meat create a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 750 g / 1.65 lb ground beef
- 250 g / 8.8 oz ground pork
Cheese:
- 300 g / 10.5 oz mozzarella cheese
- 200 g / 7 oz parmesan cheese
Pasta and Sauce:
- 500 g / 1.1 lb penne pasta
- 250 g / 8.8 oz fusilli pasta
- 2 cans (400 g / 14 oz each) crushed tomatoes
- 30 ml / 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 60 ml / 1/4 cup red wine
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 1 large onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 30 ml / 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 15 g / 0.5 oz fresh basil leaves
- 15 g / 0.5 oz fresh oregano
- 10 g / 0.35 oz salt
- 5 g / 0.18 oz black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the oven at 375°F (190°C) and select a spacious baking vessel for the pasta assembly.
- Submerge penne and fusilli in generously salted water, cooking until perfectly tender, approximately 8-10 minutes, then thoroughly drain.
- Warm olive oil in a expansive skillet over medium temperature, gently transforming onions until they become translucent and emit a delicate fragrance.
- Introduce minced garlic, briefly sautéing to release its aromatic essence.
- Integrate ground beef and pork into the skillet, methodically fragmenting the meat and cooking until completely caramelized and rich brown.
- Deglaze the meat mixture with red wine, allowing liquid to concentrate and intensify for 2-3 minutes.
- Incorporate crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, freshly chopped basil, and oregano, blending ingredients comprehensively to create a robust sauce.
- Calibrate sauce with salt and black pepper, simmering for 15-20 minutes to develop complex flavor profiles.
- Construct initial pasta foundation in baking dish, generously coating with meat sauce layer.
- Distribute mozzarella and parmesan cheeses across the initial stratum, ensuring comprehensive coverage.
- Complete the dish by adding remaining pasta, topping with residual meat sauce and a crowning cheese layer.
- Transfer to preheated oven, baking 25-30 minutes until cheese transforms into golden, effervescent landscape.
- Extract from oven, allowing 10 minutes resting period for flavor melding and structural stabilization before serving.
Notes
- Select pasta varieties with ridges or tubes to better capture and hold the rich meat sauce, enhancing overall flavor absorption.
- Opt for a mix of ground beef and pork to create a more complex, deeper meat flavor profile with balanced fat content.
- Consider using fresh herbs instead of dried for more vibrant and intense aromatic notes in the sauce.
- Experiment with gluten-free pasta and alternative cheeses to make the dish suitable for various dietary restrictions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50-60 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 635
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg