Pasta Al Forno (Italian Pasta Bake With Mince)

If you are looking for the definition of ultimate comfort food, you've found it! With a rich meat ragu, cheesy bechamel sauce and all the sweet tomato sauce, this Pasta Al Forno recipe is the ultimate comforting meal to feed large crowds and please the entire family! Filling and extremely satisfying to eat, this Italian Pasta Bake With Mince poses serious competition to lasagna...

Jump to:

• What Is Pasta Al Forno?
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Best Pasta To Use For Pasta Al Forno
• Variations and Additional Extras
• Equipment Needed
• Method: How To Make Pasta Al Forno?
• Tips & Tricks For Success
• What To Serve Pasta Al Forno With?
• Storage and Reheating
• Reader Reviews
• Recipe FAQs
• Other Baked Pasta Recipes
• Italian Food To Enjoy For Days
• Pasta Al Forno (Baked Italian Pasta)

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What Is Pasta Al Forno?

A literal translation of Pasta al Forno is simply "baked pasta". That's why you may have seen Lasagna al Forno or Spaghetti Al Forno on the menus of Italian restaurants (especially in Southern Italy). It simply indicates that the pasta dishes are cooked in a hot oven.

Pasta al Forno can use various different ingredients and a range of meat and vegetables, but it always has a rich meaty tomato sauce and a Parmesan Cheese topping.

Typically, similar in flavours and ingredients to a classic Italian lasagna, this baked pasta dish requires a lot less hands-on time, as you don't have to layer the pasta.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• ground meat: we used ½ ground pork and ½ beef mince, but this recipe works well with just one type of meat. You can also use chicken or turkey mince or Italian sausage in this baked pasta recipe. 
• carrot: can be replaced with small pieces of sweet potato or butternut squash.
• brown onion: can be substituted with red onion or shallots.
• garlic cloves: minced or finely chopped. You may use garlic powder or garlic paste too.
• tomato paste: also known as concentrated tomato puree. It adds a richer taste to this Italian meat sauce. 
• passata: we used smooth passata but chunky (liked tinned chopped tomatoes) will work too.
• stock/ broth: ideally use the stock to match the meat. We used beef stock in this recipe. You may substitute the stock with the same amount of red wine and extra seasoning.
• butter: salted and unsalted will both work well.
• plain flour: also known as all-purpose flour.
• milk: dairy milk or unsweetened plant-based varieties will work.
• cheddar: we like sharp mature cheddar cheese in this Rigatoni al Forno recipe.
• short pasta: we used rigatoni pasta, but read all about other pasta shapes suitable for this recipe in the section below.
• mozzarella ball: torn into bite-sized pieces. Fresh mozzarella cheese is optional but adds that extra creamy decadence to the dish.
• fresh basil: leaves only.
• parmesan cheese: can be replaced by other Italian hard cheese, like Pecorino Romano or Padano Grana.

Quantities, method and nutritional information can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Best Pasta To Use For Pasta Al Forno

Pasta al Forno is typically made with short tubular pasta, like rigatoni, ziti, tortiglioni or penne pasta. However, you can mix things up with other types of pasta: fusilli and conchiglie are great options too.

The rich ragu and copious amount of cheese will provide all the flavour and decadence you will need, so we don't encourage to buy expensive pasta for this dish!

Variations and Additional Extras

• Whilst we made Rigatoni al Forno, you can change the pasta shape.
• Instead of beef and pork mince, you can use ground turkey or chicken. If you don't want to use both pork and beef, we recommend using ground beef only, as the red sauce made with pork only may be a little bit too greasy.
• Make your ragu spicy by adding 1 chopped red chilli pepper or a teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
• Trying to incorporate extra veggies into your diet? Add some chopped celery, grated courgette and green peas to your hearty meat sauce.
• Add some dried Italian herbs or Italian seasoning to the ragu too. 

SHORTCUT: If you have leftover Filipino Beef Giniling or Bolognese Sauce, use it instead of making ragu from scratch.

Equipment Needed

You will need:

• A sharp knife to chop all the veggies.
• A large skillet or frying pan to brown the meat and make the ragu in.
• A small saucepan to make bechamel sauce in.
• An ovenproof baking dish (casserole dish) that is about 2L capacity (for 4 portions).

Method: How To Make Pasta Al Forno?

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add the ground meat (we used minced beef and pork) and cook stirring occasionally until it is browned all over. Scoop the meat out into a bowl, cover and set aside.

Reduce the heat to low-medium, then add 2 tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan. Add the carrots, onions and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes.

Tip the browned meat back into the pan. Then add the tomato paste, passata and stock and stir well to combine. Season with salt and black pepper.

Cover the ragu with a lid and simmer on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

In the meantime, make the bechamel sauce (also known as white sauce). Melt the butter in a small saucepan, add the flour and stir until you have a smooth paste that is coming off the sides of the pan.

Gradually pour in the milk and keep on stirring on medium heat until the mixture thickens to custard consistency. Take it off the heat, stir in the grated cheddar and season with salt and pepper.

When your pasta sauce is almost cooked, preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Boil the pasta for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions (we cooked our rigatoni for 8 minutes in a large pot of salted water). Drain and add the (under)cooked pasta to the rich tomato sauce.

Add pieces of mozzarella and torn basil leaves and mix well.

Spoon the pasta into an oven-proof dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over and scatter the grated parmesan on top of the pasta.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

Tips & Tricks For Success

• Give your ragu time. The meat will need to soften and infuse with all the rich flavours of that tomato sauce.
• Cover the ragu and simmer it on low. You don't want the sauce to be reduced too much, otherwise, you will end up with a dryer final result.
• Make sure you undercook the pasta significantly. And we don't just mean al dente - we mean UNDERCOOKED. It will finish cooking in the sauce in the oven, absorbing all the flavours.
• Scatter the top with extra basil or fresh parsley for a fresh flavour and colour vibrancy of the dish.

What To Serve Pasta Al Forno With?

Rigatoni al Forno is a very filling dish! Rich ragu coating the delicious pasta, not to mention all the cheesy goodness, leaves you full and satisfied. So we do not recommend a filling side dish for this recipe.

Skip the traditional garlic bread, and serve a nutritious and delicious green vegetable side dish instead. We particularly like this Italian Baked Pasta with Italian Green Bean Salad, or:

• Tenderstem Broccoli with Lemon and Garlic
• Courgette Ribbon Salad

Storage and Reheating

Italian Baked Pasta With Mince can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure to cool it down to room temperature, then spoon the leftover pasta into an airtight container and place it in the fridge.

To reheat, you can simply place the semi-covered microwave-safe dish with the Pasta in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Alternatively, reheat the dish in the oven. Cover an ovenproof dish with a sheet of tin foil and place it in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or until piping hot). Serve with freshly grated cheese on top.

You may also make the ragu and the cheese sauce 2 days ahead of time, store them in the fridge and then assemble the pasta casserole on busy weeknights for dinner time. 

Recipe FAQs

Other Baked Pasta Recipes

If you enjoyed this Italian Pasta Bake With Mince, maybe we can tempt you with a few more of our oven-baked pasta recipes that the whole family will enjoy.

• Cheesy Chicken Pesto Pasta Bake (Casserole)
• Feta And Kale Canelloni
• Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake
• Tuna Pesto Pasta Bake
• Lasagna Verde (With Asparagus and Spinach)
• Aubergine and Courgette Lasagna

Italian Food To Enjoy For Days

Italian cuisine is a family favorite here at Somebody Feed Seb. Whether we're cooking for special occasions or weeknight dinners, we can always count on a good classic Italian recipe to save the day. The best way is the Italian way! Here are some of our favourites: 

• Chicken Limone
• Chicken Piccata
• Risotto Al Nero