Bolognese Pasta Bake (Print Version)
Comforting oven-baked pasta with rich meat sauce and golden melted cheese topping.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Bolognese Sauce
01 - 2 tbsp olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery sticks, diced
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1.1 lbs ground beef
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes
09 - 1 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1 tsp dried basil
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1 tsp salt
13 - ½ tsp ground black pepper
14 - ½ cup red wine (optional)
15 - 1 tsp sugar
→ Pasta
16 - 14 oz dried rigatoni or penne pasta
17 - 1 tbsp salt (for pasta water)
→ Cheese Topping
18 - 5.3 oz grated mozzarella cheese
19 - 1.8 oz grated Parmesan cheese
# Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until browned.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, red wine (if using), and sugar.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf.
06 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
07 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the Bolognese sauce.
08 - Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
09 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The house fills with that slow cooked Italian grandmother energy without you actually having to be Italian or a grandmother
- Leftovers somehow taste better the next day when the sauce has had time to really marry with the pasta
- The cheese crust forms these salty crispy edges that everyone fights over
02 -
- Don't overcook the pasta in the boiling water since it will finish cooking in the oven
- The sauce must thicken before baking or you'll end up with soupy pasta
- Letting it rest for those five minutes is the difference between a clean slice and a messy scoop
03 -
- The sugar isn't optional, canned tomatoes vary in acidity and this balances everything
- Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre grated, it melts so much better