Bolognese Pasta Bake (Printable)

Crispy-topped pasta bake with rich meat sauce and golden melted cheese

# What You'll Need:

→ 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
15 - 1 teaspoon sugar

→ Pasta

16 - 14 ounces dried rigatoni or penne pasta
17 - 1 tablespoon salt for pasta water

→ Cheese Topping

18 - 5.3 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
19 - 1.8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

# How to Make It:

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. Add chopped tomatoes, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, red wine, and sugar.
05 - Simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf.
06 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
07 - In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked pasta with Bolognese sauce.
08 - Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over top.
09 - Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one dish, meaning less cleanup and more time actually eating
  • The cheese layer develops those incredible crispy edges everyone fights over
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, if they last that long
02 -
  • Undercook the pasta by a few minutes since it keeps cooking in the oven
  • Letting the sauce thicken on the stove prevents a watery bake
  • The resting period is not optional unless you like molten lava cheese burns
03 -
  • Make the sauce ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge overnight
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying pre shredded for better melting
  • Use a 9x13 inch dish for the perfect sauce to cheese ratio

Return