Donning the apron need not take hours, especially with this simple, quality recipe for baked pasta with cherry tomato sauce. Paccheri al forno invokes Campania, the southern Italian region where our cherry tomatoes are grown and pasta is dried in the Mediterranean breeze.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 (17.6-ounce) bag paccheri
- 1 (14-ounce) can cherry tomatoes
- 1 pound mozzarella, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup cow's milk ricotta
How to make Paccheri al Forno con Pomodoro e Mozzarella (Baked Paccheri with Tomato and Mozzarella)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil and season it with salt.
- In a large skillet, combine the extra virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes (if using) and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until the oil begins to bubble. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are warmed through, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and partially cover it to keep it warm.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mozzarella, ricotta and parsley.
- When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook, stirring frequently, until very al dente. Drain the pasta and place it in a 9-by-13-inch ovenproof gratin or baking dish. When slightly cooled, stuff the pasta with half of the cheese mixture, add the tomato sauce on top and finish with the remaining cheese mixture.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted and a golden crust has formed. Remove the pasta from the oven and sprinkle with about 2 ounces of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Let it melt for 5 minutes, then serve with the remaining grated cheese.
