A perfectly-melty, extra flavorful layer of cheese covers pasta in meat sauce and dollops of seasoned ricotta in this crowd-favorite pasta al forno recipe. A make-ahead hit for holidays or parties, this Italian pasta bake is simple enough for everyday occasions, too.
A cousin to baked ziti with meatballs, who doesn't love pasta al forno?
Meaning "baked pasta" in Italian (al forno - "to the oven"), my personal understanding of the phrase is that pasta al forno refers to any sort of pasta/sauce/cheese combination baked in the oven. This kind of recipe is always a hit for dinner, with lots of wiggle room for you to make it your own.
I like to differentiate my versions of popular Italian American dishes. While pasta, a simple homemade sauce (like the easiest Sunday sauce), ricotta, melted mozzarella, and Italian herbs and spices are all delicious 24/7, it can get a little repetitive if you combine the same ingredients every time for baked ziti, lasagna, cheese stuffed shells, manicotti, etc., you know?
While they look pretty similar, there are actually quite a few differences when you compare my pasta al forno vs. baked ziti. But! It's just as crave-worthy of a dinner for serving a crowd.
Why You'll Love Pasta al Forno
- It's not your standard baked ziti. This pasta al forno recipe uses ground Italian sausage (not beef), serves up seasoned ricotta dollops (not plain and mixed into the sauce), and adds an extra-flavorful cheese to the mix to make it its own recipe entirely.
- It's shortcut-friendly. Your favorite jarred sauce can easily be used to save you time. Simply cook up the meat and combine.
- It can be made ahead of time. Assemble and refrigerate overnight before baking, or freeze!
- It feeds a crowd. An Italian baked pasta dish (usually baked ziti) has long been a staple in my house for holidays like Christmas.
Recipe Ingredients
Below are brief descriptions of the five main components of pasta al forno. Detailed measurements necessary to make this recipe are featured within the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Meat Sauce: A few tricks jazz up a simple homemade sauce, including using bold Italian sausage, cooking the tomato paste in the pan to caramelize it for a deeper flavor, and deglazing with red wine.
- Seasoned Ricotta: Really spicing up plain ricotta by stirring in fresh and dried herbs, garlic, and salt is a game-changer move I can't quit since making baked eggplant stacks. It has a big flavor impact, especially when the ricotta is arranged in dollops or its own layer.
- Mozzarella/Provolone: Mozzarella is a given for any Italian baked pasta dish, but I am SUCH a fan of combining it with sharp Provolone. It melts nicely and its pungency carries through to provide lots of flavor.
- Pecorino Romano: My personal preference, though Parmesan works just as well. With either, shredding your own wedge provides the freshest flavor, but refrigerated pre-shredded varieties can be used, too.
- Pasta: A medium tube shape works great for a pasta bake. Here I'm making rigatoni al forno, but ziti or penne will work, too. Be sure to adjust the boil time for about two minutes shy of al dente.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Sauté onion, then add Italian sausage. Cook fully before adding garlic and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes more. This caramelizes the tomato paste and adds flavor depth.
- Step 2: Deglaze with wine (or water), then pour in the crushed tomatoes. Adjust the heat to a simmer while you prepare the rest of the recipe, stirring the sauce occasionally.
- Step 3: Add ricotta, herbs, and spices to a medium mixing bowl.
- Step 4: Stir to evenly combine the seasoned ricotta ingredients.
- Step 5: Boil pasta two minutes less than al dente, then drain and combine with the meat sauce. Pour into a greased 9-by-13 inch baking dish.
- Step 6: Nestle dollops of the ricotta mixture evenly throughout the pasta, then sprinkle with the shredded Pecorino, mozzarella, and Provolone.
- Step 7: Bake on the middle rack of a 350°F oven for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has melted and turned golden-brown in pockets.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Don't overboil your pasta. The pasta will continue to cook during the bake time, so it's best to underboil the pasta when making pasta al forno (or any pasta bake) to prevent mushy, broken pieces. Aim to boil it for two minutes less than al dente timing listed on the package.
- No need to drain the ricotta. Draining away every bit of moisture we can from ricotta cheese makes a difference when adding it to baked goods like Italian ricotta cookies or delicacies like the cream in cannoli icebox cake. Here though it doesn't make a difference. Just blot away any surface moisture if you see it.
- Be mindful of browning. A 30-ish minute bake time on the middle rack of the oven shouldn't cause any parts of this rigatoni al forno to overly brown, but if you find you'd like it to cook longer once the top has browned, simply tent a sheet of aluminum foil over top and continue to cook until done.
- Save Provolone for later. A wedge of sharp Provolone is quite firm and can be frozen for future use. Cut it into several smaller wedges, wrap each snugly in plastic wrap, and freeze in a sealable freezer bag (with excess air pressed out). Thaw in the fridge before shredding for future recipes.
More Pasta Recipes
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Pasta al Forno
A perfectly-melty, extra flavorful layer of cheese covers pasta in meat sauce and dollops of seasoned ricotta in this crowd-favorite pasta al forno recipe. A make-ahead hit for holiday or parties, this Italian pasta bake is simple enough for everyday occasions, too.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 583kcal
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Half of a large onion diced
- 16 ounces ground Italian sausage mild, hot, or sweet
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup dry red wine or water
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Salt to taste, if needed
- Ground black pepper to taste, if needed
Seasoned Ricotta:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese good-quality part-skim fine
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
The Rest:
- 16 ounces medium tube pasta such as rigatoni, ziti, etc.
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded sharp Provolone
- ½ cup shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
- Fresh basil chiffonade for serving
Instructions
Meat Sauce:
- Add olive oil to a large sauté pan set on the stove over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add the sausage and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until fully cooked and crumbled.
- Add the garlic and tomato paste, working the tomato paste into the sausage/onion mixture as best you can. Continue to cook for 3 minutes, during which time you'll notice sticking to the bottom of the pan (that's okay).
- Deglaze the pan with wine (or water), scraping up the stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan and working them into everything else. Simmer the wine for 2 minutes, then pour in the crushed tomatoes. Adjust the heat to a simmer and stir the sauce occasionally as you continue on with the recipe. Leave the pan uncovered, or if necessary use a splatter screen or place the lid on with a big opening to allow the steam through so it will reduce and thicken while preventing splattering. Season to taste with salt and pepper before adding the pasta later on.
Seasoned Ricotta:
- At this time preheat the oven to 350°F and set a large pot of water to boil. Blot away any pooled moisture from the ricotta and add it to a medium mixing bowl. Add the parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper and stir well until evenly combined.
Pasta:
- Once the pot of water is boiling, salt it generously then add pasta and cook 2 minutes less than the package-indicated "al dente" timing. Drain then pour into the pan with the sauce and stir to combine well.
Assemble and Bake:
- Spray a 9-by-13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Add the meat sauce-coated pasta to the dish and lightly press into an even layer. Nestle dollops of the seasoned ricotta into the pasta, then scatter shredded mozzarella, Provolone, and Pecorino evenly over top.
- Bake uncovered on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese has melted and has pockets of golden-brown. Garnish with fresh basil before serving. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Tip - Assemble the pasta al forno, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to a day before baking. Make sure your baking dish can handle a temperature swing from fridge to pre-heated oven. Set the dish out at room temperature while the oven preheats, remove the foil, and bake. Additional time (15-20 minutes) may be needed - tent with foil as needed.
- Freezing - Choose a disposable foil baking pan and assemble everything through scattering the cheeses (do not bake). Let cool, secure the lid, wrap well in plastic wrap/aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, it's best to thaw fully in the fridge before baking (increase time and tent with foil as needed), but it can be baked directly from frozen. A caveat: baking right from frozen can take a long time - upwards of 90 minutes to 2 hours. Cover with foil and check for doneness when the center reaches 165°F.
- Italian Seasoning - This is often a blend of dried oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram. Any combination of the above would make a good at-home substitute.
- Nutrition - This is an estimate assuming the use of pork Italian sausage. Turkey Italian sausage would be great here, too, for a leaner option.
Nutrition
Calories: 583kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 29.3g | Fat: 24.1g | Saturated Fat: 9.6g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1016mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7.1g | Calcium: 354mg | Iron: 4mg
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Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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