Paccheri al Forno

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 45

Total Time: 55

Servings: servings

Calories: 512kcal

Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

Paccheri al Forno is a classic Italian pasta bake from Southern Italy. It's a delicious and easy weeknight meal. Made with just a few simple ingredients, it's hearty and ready in under an hour!

Print Recipe Add to Collection

Equipment

1 Baking Dish

Ingredients

16 oz paccheri pasta 1 bag

Filling

1 pound fresh mozzarella cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup ricotta
⅓ cup basil chopped, substitute parsley

Sauce

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to taste
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
14.5 ounces San Marzano plum tomatoes 1 can
1 teaspoon salt to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper to taste

Garnish

3 oz Parmigiano Reggiano grated, or vegetarian parmesan of choice
2 tablespoons basil chopped, substitute parsley

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F / 180ºC
Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil, and season with plenty of salt, like seawater. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, to al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, to a medium bowl, add the mozzarella, ricotta, and basil and mix well.
Bring a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, add the onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for less than a minute.
Pour the San Marzano tomatoes and a pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes until bubbly. Mash the tomatoes with a spoon or potato masher to turn them into a sauce. Remove from the heat and partially cover with a lid.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place it in a rectangle ovenproof baking dish 9’’x13’’ and leave it to cool down a bit.
When pasta is cool enough to be touched, stuff the Paccheri with half of the cheese mixture, and add all of the tomato sauce over the pasta followed by the remaining mozzarella mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Paccheri is a big, tubular pasta. If you're not able to find paccheri, you can also use another tubular pasta of your choice (e.g., rigatoni)
To make this recipe vegan, use vegan mozzarella (like Miyoko's) and vegan parmesan instead of regular dairy cheese.

Nutrition