Pasta pasticciata

Pasta pasticciata is a traditional Italian dish, comforting and flavorful, which can have various regional and personal variations. Generally, it is a baked dish with a rich sauce and melted cheese. Below, I present you with a classic version of the pasta pasticciata recipe.

Ingredients

• 500 g of short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or similar)
• 400 g of tomato sauce
• 300 g of ground meat (beef, pork, or a mix of the two)
• 150 g of mozzarella, diced or torn
• 100 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil (optional)
• Butter for greasing the baking dish

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. In a large pan, sauté the chopped onion and garlic in olive oil until they become translucent.
3. Add the ground meat, season with salt and pepper, and cook until well-browned.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan with the meat, lower the heat, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of salted water according to the package instructions for al dente cooking. Drain the pasta and pour it into a bowl.
6. Add the meat sauce to the pasta and mix to coat the pasta well.
7. Grease a baking dish with butter and pour half of the sauced pasta into it. Distribute half of the mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Add the rest of the pasta, covering with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
9. Bake the pasta pasticciata for about 20-30 minutes or until the surface becomes golden brown and the cheese melts and gratinates.
10. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

As a point of interest, pasta pasticciata can vary greatly depending on the Italian regions. For example, in some areas, pieces of sausage are added to the sauce, or different types of cheese such as spicy provolone are used for a bolder flavor. If you want a touch of freshness, you can add fresh basil before baking the dish.