A tasty and rich dish typical of Italian cuisine made with pasta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and béchamel, baked for a stringy and golden result.
Cut the mozzarella into cubes and let it drain. Prepare the sauce: in a pot, add the tomato sauce, diluted with 2 - 3 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of oil, and fresh basil. Cook on low heat for about 15 minutes with a lid, adjust salt to taste.
Prepare the béchamel, if in small quantity, it adds flavor to the baked pasta. Make it classic or light. If store-bought, dilute it with 3 - 4 tablespoons of milk.
Prepare the meatballs by mixing ground meat, egg white, breadcrumbs, Grana, milk, parsley, and salt. Fry or brown in a pan.
Boil the pasta in boiling water and coarse salt. Cook for half the time indicated on the package. It should be semi-hard. Drain and season with a little sauce, Grana, and basil.
Assemble the baked pasta in a baking dish: add a little sauce at the bottom, a layer of pasta, mozzarella, béchamel, and basil. Repeat the process and finish with a final layer of pasta and sauce. Add Grana and basil.
Bake in the oven at 180°C for about 35 minutes, adding the remaining mozzarella after 25 minutes. Activate the grill for a perfect gratin.
Baked pasta keeps perfectly if cooked al dente. It can be prepared 1 day in advance, stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and reheated in the oven at 200°C for 12 - 15 minutes. It can also be frozen and thawed slowly in the refrigerator before reheating.
It's important to cook the pasta al dente to prevent it from overcooking in the oven. Add meatballs for a unique and tasty dish, or eggplant for a vegetarian variant.
Italia, Campania
| Energy (kcal) | 175.52 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 19.11 |
| of which Sugars (g) | 5.99 |
| Fat (g) | 7.26 |
| of which Saturates (g) | 2.35 |
| Protein (g) | 8.76 |
| Fiber (g) | 1.37 |
| Sale (g) | 0.05 |
