Bolognese Pasta Bake (Printable)
Hearty oven-baked pasta with rich meat sauce and golden melted cheese topping. A family favorite Italian comfort food.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Bolognese Sauce
01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1.1 pounds ground beef
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 28 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
11 - 1 bay leaf
12 - 1 teaspoon salt
13 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - ½ cup red wine (optional)
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar
→ For the Pasta
16 - 14 ounces dried rigatoni or penne pasta
17 - 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water
→ For the Cheese Topping
18 - 5.3 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
19 - 1.8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for 5 minutes until softened.
03 - Add ground beef and cook, stirring, until browned.
04 - Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, red wine (if using), and sugar.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Remove the bay leaf.
06 - Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
07 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the Bolognese sauce.
08 - Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
09 - Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cheese topping gets perfectly golden and bubbly while the pasta underneath stays incredibly tender
- This makes the best leftovers and somehow tastes even better the next day
- Everything happens in one pan and one baking dish so cleanup is surprisingly minimal
02 -
- I learned the hard way that overcooking the pasta before baking leads to mushy results so really pull it while its still slightly firm
- The sauce must thicken properly in the skillet or youll end up with soupy pasta instead of that perfect baked consistency
- Letting it rest those 5 minutes seems impossible when it smells this good but it makes serving so much easier
03 -
- Grate your own cheese from blocks instead of buying pre shredded which contains anti caking agents that prevent smooth melting
- If your sauce seems too thick after simmering add a splash of pasta water before combining with the noodles