Pasta Al Forno Food

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Coat 2 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• Cook pasta; drain; rinse with cold water.
• In bowl, combine marinara, mozzarella, spinach or broccoli, cottage cheese or ricotta, 6 T Parmesan, salt and pepper. Stir in pasta and chopped, cooked chicken (or ground beef); transfer to baking dish.
• Stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan and oil; sprinkle over pasta. Bake until hot, 25-30 minutes.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• While the rigatoni cooks in salted boiling water, prepare the sauce.
• In a saucepan, heat up the olive oil and saute the garlic, eggplant, olives, tomatoes and red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato puree and salt to taste.
• Let cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Drain the rigatoni, add to the saucepan, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parmesan and cook for another 30 seconds.
• Place half the rigatoni in a 9" x 13" baking dish, adding a layer of half of the mozzarella, half of the fontina and half of the remaining parmesan.
• Add the remaining rigatoni and follow with a final layer of all of the cheeses.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add onions and cook slowly until moisture has evaporated but onions are not dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and bacon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until meat is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour wine into the skillet and cook until evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill tomato paste can with water and pour in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook sauce, uncovered, until oil no longer appears on the surface, about 30 minutes. Add sugar and salt; cook and stir until dissolved, about 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta at a boil for about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Return pasta to the pot and add a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x13-inch baking dishes.
• Add about 1 cup sauce and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese to the pot with the cooked pasta.
• Spoon a thin layer of pasta into each prepared baking dish. Top each with a thin layer of provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Add sauce. Repeat layers with remaining pasta, cheeses, and sauce; finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and melted, 30 to 45 minutes.

PASTA AL FORNO (BAKED PASTA THE ITALIAN WAY)

Steps:

• Chop the carrot, onion, garlic and celery finely.
• Fry the vegetables in olive oil until they are softening. Be careful not to allow them to burn!
• Add the minced meat and cook until browned.
• Then add the tomato concentrate and stir well
• Add the glass of wine and stir well again
• When the wine has evaporated pour in the tomato pulp and mix it in well with the meat.
• Add the basil leaves and salt and pepper as required.
• Cover the sauce and allow to simmer on a low heat for at least an hour, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. If it gets too thick add some water.
• 15 minutes before the sauce is ready add the peas.
• Put salted water on to boil for the pasta. Cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less than instructed on the packet. Strain and add the pasta to the meat sauce when it is ready.
• Mix the pasta and sauce well and allow to cool.
• Put a layer of pasta with sauce on the bottom of an oven dish.
• Make another layer with thick pieces of mozzarella.
• Add another layer of pasta with meat sauce and again some mozzarella
• Finish with a layer of pasta.
• Sprinkle with parmesan and bake in a pre-heated oven 180-200° until the top layer starts to crisp (30-40 mins)

PASTA AL FORNO WITH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta for 6-8 mins
• Tip the tomatoes into a pan with parsley, olive oil and plenty of seasoning. Simmer for 15-20 mins until thickened and shiny. Heat oven to 180c/160c fan/gas 4
• Once the pasta has cooked drain well - but reserve a ladle of the pasta cooking water - tip back into the saucepan. Stir in the tomato sauce with a little of the water if it looks dry. Add 2/3s of the mozzarella and the basil, stir these in to before tipping into a baking dish
• Sprinkle the Parmesan over, along with the remaining mozzarella, then drizzle with a splash more oil. Bake for 20 mins until bubbling and the cheese has melted. Serve with green salad

MEATBALL PASTA BAKE (PASTA AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Mix the grated onion, 1 crushed garlic clove, mince, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture together with your hands until combined. Mould the mix into small balls (about walnut-sized) with damp hands. There will be about 20 meatballs.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins until golden brown all over. Fry in batches if you need to - they don't need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan and fry the chopped onion for 5 mins until softened. Add the remaining garlic, fry for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins until thickened and the tomatoes have broken down. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 5 mins less than the pack instructions state, in boiling salted water. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce, adding a splash of water if too thick, and bring to a simmer. Drain the pasta and tip into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and meatballs and mix well. Stir in most of the mozzarella, then scatter the remaining over the top. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the top is slightly crisp.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 410°F and set a 10x10 inch round casserole ready.
• In a skillet, heat olive oil. Wait until it is hot before adding diced onions and garlic. Fry them for 2 minutes then give the vegan ground beef to the skillet.
• Cook for 4 minutes more, then add tomato sauce and paste. Let all simmer for 2 minutes more and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Mix cooked rigatoni and the meaty sauce in a large bowl, then transfer to your 10x 10 inch casserole and sprinkle some vegan mozzarella on top.
• Bake for 15 minutes, serve on plates.

PASTA AL FORNO (OVEN BAKED PASTA)

Steps:

• Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box, but drain the water, reserving at least 1 1/2 cups, 4 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time (for example, the orechiette cooking time was 11 minutes and I cooked them for 7 minutes).
• Add some sauce and meatballs and some of the pasta water and mix well. Continue to add the sauce and water until it is no longer dry, and has a good amount of sauce (I added over one cup of water; remember the pasta is still undercooked and will absorb quite a bit of liquid).
• Toss in the diced mozzarella, stir well and put into a baking dish.
• Bake in a preheated 400F degree oven for 20 minutes, covered with a lid. Remove the lid, sprinkle with grated cheese, and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want the top of the pasta.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then serve.

PASTA AL FORNO WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• To make the roasted vegetables: Heat the oven to 425°F and place the oven racks in the upper and lower third.
• Combine the zucchini, eggplant, onion, and garlic in a large sheet pan. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat them thoroughly.
• Cut the mushrooms into big pieces or thick slices and spread out in large sheet pan. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.
• Place the pan of mushrooms on the top oven rack and the mixed vegetables on the bottom rack. Roast both for 15 minutes, then toss each with a spatula and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan of mushrooms after a total of 30 minutes. They should be tender and browned, and the ones around the edges of the pan are lightly crisped. Stir the mixed vegetables once more after the initial 30 minutes and roast for an additional 15 minutes, for a total of 45 minutes. They should be tender and nicely browned in spots. Set the roasted mushrooms and vegetables aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (3 ½ to 4 quart volume) with olive oil.
• While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt generously. Add the pasta, stir to separate, and cook according to manufacturer's instructions until not quite al dente (it should be slightly underdone, because it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the drained pasta to the empty pot and set aside.
• Put the grated tomatoes in a medium bowl and stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
• Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables and the roasted mushrooms. Add 2 cups of the tomato-lemon mixture and gently toss to combine thoroughly. Add a splash or two of pasta cooking water if needed to loosen up the sauce.
• Spoon half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the sliced mozzarella over the pasta. Spoon the remaining pasta on top, and cover with the remaining mozzarella. Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the mozzarella and sprinkle the Parmigiano on top.
• Cover the dish with greased foil (greased side down) and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the top is nicely browned and crisp around the edges. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• For the sauce: Cover the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and garlic and cook over medium heat until garlic browns. Add sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• For the pappardelle pasta: Make a bed of all-purpose flour, then make a well and add eggs. Fold all together, adding in more flour if needed, and knead until a dough ball is formed, then set aside and cover for 30 minutes.
• Run dough through a pasta sheeter to form pappardelle pasta (broad flat noodles).
• For the meatballs: Combine the beef, pork, veal, panko, Parmesan, salt, pepper and eggs in a bowl. Mixture should be on the drier side. If need be, add more panko. Form quarter-size meatballs. Heat a medium frying pan with oil and fry each meatball to a golden brown color.
• For the pasta al forno: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add sauce to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, along with the ricotta. Stir together, then add mozzarella and the meatballs. Let the cheese melt down.
• Meanwhile, drop the pasta into boiling salted water for about 7 minutes. Strain and add to the baking dish. Mix around, then bake in oven for 10 minutes.

PASTA AL FORNO: OVEN BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. While the rigatoni cooks in salted boiling water, prepare the sauce. In a saucepan heat up the olive oil and saute the eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, chile peppers, if using, and garlic, for a few minutes. Add the tomato puree and salt. Let the sauce cook for approximately 10 minutes on medium heat. Drain the rigatoni; add the pasta to the saucepan, sprinkle with some Parmigiano and cook for another 30 seconds. Then place 1/2 the rigatoni in a baking dish, adding a layer of 1/2 the mozzarella, 1/2 the scamorza and another sprinkle of Parmigiano cheese over the pasta. Add the remaining rigatoni, and follow with a final layer of all the cheeses. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.