Baked Pasta with Meatballs

Name: Baked Pasta with Meatballs
Ingredients: 4 1/4 oz rigatoni (120 g); as needed Parmesan cheese,; 3/4 cup tomato sauce (200 ml); as needed White onion,; 1 garlic clove; Extra-virgin olive oil; Salt; Basil; Black pepper; 3 1/2 tbsp béchamel sauce (50 ml); 3 1/2 oz ground pork (100 g); 1 3/4 oz Parmesan cheese (50 g); Chopped parsley; 1 medium egg; Fine salt; Black pepper

Gioia2.0 @cook_17260051

Monza

There are many ways to make baked pasta. At my house, we like it simple with just a few ingredients, but you can add things like sliced hard-boiled eggs, smoked mozzarella, or cooked ham if you like. Feel free to make it your own!

Gioia2.0 @cook_17260051

Saved

Ingredients

4 1/4 ozrigatoni (120 g)
as neededParmesan cheese,
3/4 cuptomato sauce (200 ml)
as neededWhite onion,
1garlic clove
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Basil
Black pepper
3 1/2 tbspbéchamel sauce (50 ml)
For the meatballs
3 1/2 ozground pork (100 g)
1 3/4 ozParmesan cheese (50 g)
Chopped parsley
1medium egg
Fine salt
Black pepper

Saved

Steps

1

To make the baked pasta, start by preparing the meatball mixture. In a bowl, combine the ground pork, parsley, Parmesan, and egg. Mix everything together. Once the ingredients are well combined, season with salt and pepper to taste. Work the mixture until smooth, then cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to form the meatballs.
2

Next, make the sauce. In a nonstick skillet, add olive oil, the whole garlic clove, and finely chopped onion. When the oil is hot, add the tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper, and let it cook on low heat for about 30 minutes.
3

Meanwhile, shape the meat mixture into evenly sized meatballs so they cook evenly. When the sauce is done, remove the garlic and add the meatballs to the sauce. Let them cook together on low heat for about 15 minutes, then add the basil leaves.
4

While the meatballs are cooking, cook the rigatoni, making sure to drain them halfway through the recommended cooking time.
5

Combine the sauce and meatballs with the pasta. Spread a thin layer of béchamel sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Add a layer of rigatoni and meatballs, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Add another layer of béchamel, then repeat with more rigatoni and meatballs until the dish is full. Finish with a final layer of béchamel and Parmesan on top.
6

Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F (180°C) in a conventional oven. When done, turn on the broiler for 5 minutes to brown the top. Your baked pasta is ready to enjoy!