Domenics Pasta Al Forno Recipes

DOMENIC'S PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a pan with a splash of water, stirring frequently to break it up into very small pieces.
• Meanwhile, saute the onions in oil in a large saucepan. When they have turned limp and transparent, add the garlic and cook for a further minute or two.
• Add the beef to the vegetables. Stir in the sugar, tomatoes and tomato paste. You may also need to add in some water to obtain the correct consistency - this needs to be a bit thinner than a traditional pasta sauce. Simmer for about an hour.
• With about 15 or 20 minutes left, check the consistency of the sauce again. Add water, if required, as well as seasonings.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan.
• Add flour and 1 cup of milk to a sealable jar and shake well until the flour is distributed throughout the milk. Add this mixture slowly to the butter, stirring constantly. Repeat with remaining milk and paprika.
• Continue heating, stirring constantly, until the sauce begins to thicken. Again, this does not need to be a thick sauce.
• Cook ziti for about 7 minutes in a pot of salted boiling water. The ziti will only be about half cooked at this point. Drain, reserving about a cup of water to thin the sauce, if necessary.
• Mix the pasta with tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Stir well to combine and melt cheese. There should be enough sauce to just cover the pasta. Pour the mixture into a large baking dish.
• If you have some tomato sauce left, spoon it lightly over top of the pasta for a bit of extra colour. Sprinkle with parmesan, cover, and bake for about 40 minutes. The pasta will finish cooking during this time, and the excess liquid will be absorbed!
• Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• For the sauce: Cover the bottom of a medium saucepan with oil and garlic and cook over medium heat until garlic browns. Add sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• For the pappardelle pasta: Make a bed of all-purpose flour, then make a well and add eggs. Fold all together, adding in more flour if needed, and knead until a dough ball is formed, then set aside and cover for 30 minutes.
• Run dough through a pasta sheeter to form pappardelle pasta (broad flat noodles).
• For the meatballs: Combine the beef, pork, veal, panko, Parmesan, salt, pepper and eggs in a bowl. Mixture should be on the drier side. If need be, add more panko. Form quarter-size meatballs. Heat a medium frying pan with oil and fry each meatball to a golden brown color.
• For the pasta al forno: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add sauce to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, along with the ricotta. Stir together, then add mozzarella and the meatballs. Let the cheese melt down.
• Meanwhile, drop the pasta into boiling salted water for about 7 minutes. Strain and add to the baking dish. Mix around, then bake in oven for 10 minutes.

PASTA AL FORNO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over low heat. Add onions and cook slowly until moisture has evaporated but onions are not dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and bacon. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until meat is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Pour wine into the skillet and cook until evaporated, 1 to 3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Fill tomato paste can with water and pour in. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook sauce, uncovered, until oil no longer appears on the surface, about 30 minutes. Add sugar and salt; cook and stir until dissolved, about 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the rotini pasta at a boil for about 5 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water. Return pasta to the pot and add a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x13-inch baking dishes.
• Add about 1 cup sauce and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese to the pot with the cooked pasta.
• Spoon a thin layer of pasta into each prepared baking dish. Top each with a thin layer of provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Add sauce. Repeat layers with remaining pasta, cheeses, and sauce; finish with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until hot and melted, 30 to 45 minutes.