Pasta al Forno

My favorite pasta dish of all time is probably lasagna. All that goodness baked into every slice, who could resist. The one thing I don’t love about lasagna is the time and effort it takes to make. And that is where Pasta al Forno comes in! The literal translation is pasta to the oven, or baked pasta. This dish has everything I love about lasagna, but doesn’t require that layered assembly. Give the recipe a try and it’s sure to be a new favorite.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 (1 lb) can tomato puree
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

How to Make Pasta al Forno

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
2. Add sausage and break into small crumbles with a spatula. Cook until browned, then drain off grease.
3. Add tomato puree, ¼ cup water, salt, pepper, and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. As sauce simmers, boil pasta in generously salted water until almost al dente (slightly undercooked). Measure out 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside, then drain out the remaining water.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce after the 30 minutes, along with 1 ½ cups mozzarella and ½ cup pasta water. Stir to combine and add remaining pasta water only if the mixture is dry.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
7. Transfer pasta mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
8. Bake pasta for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling and cheese begins to turn golden.

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