Sicilian Pasta al Forno

Pasta al Forno is an easy, classic Sicilian dish made with penne pasta tossed in ground beef and tomato sauce, topped with lots of cheese, and baked to perfection for less than 30 minutes.

What Does Al Forno Means?

"al Forno" means food that is baked in the oven. Pasta al Forno is an Sicilian dish that can be made with lots of variations such as veggies, sausage, and chicken. However, the common thing between all the variations is cheese. This recipe loves cheese; the more, the better.

This pasta casserole is perfect for a family dinner, big gathering, or celebrations.

Today I decided to make Pasta al Forno, and I usually make it a lot, so I went to the local store to buy ziti pasta. I bought pasta and other stuff as well, and when I came home, I discovered that I bought penne, not ziti. So, I decided to go with penne in making the recipe.

I love this dish because It is budget-friendly, feeds a crowd, can be made in advance, stores, freezes, and reheats very well.

What's in Penne al Forno?

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Pasta: I use penne, you may also use ziti.

Minced beef: I use extra lean ground beef. To make vegetarian Pasta al Forno, skip the meat or replace it with some veggies such as cauliflower or zucchini.

Garlic and onion: To flavor the beef.

Tomato Sauce: Any kind you prefer.

Seasonings: I use black pepper, Italian herbs and salt.

Mozzarella Cheese: I like shredded Mozzarella; however, cheddar cheese also works fine. You can use a mix between cheddar cheese and mozzarella (one cup of each) for extra flavour.

How to Make Penne al Forno?

Prepare the Pasta: Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package instructions, then drain well.

Tip: For the best texture, Don't overcook the pasta; otherwise, it will become too soft.

Make the Sauce: In a small pot, heat the oil, then add onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute, until onion softened. Add the meat, stir for 1 minute, then add salt, black pepper, Italian herbs, and tomato sauce. Stir, cook for 20-25 minutes.

Assemble the casserole: First, preheat the oven to at 180C / 350F. Toss the pasta into the meat and tomato sauce, stir well until combined. Place the pasta in a 20x20 baking dish and sprinkle all the cheese on top of it.

Baking: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until has a lovely brown colour.

Let the pasta cool down for 10 minutes, then garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe Variations

Make it with Veggies: Add to the sauce some veggies, such as zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, peas, eggplant, or spinach.

Make it with Another Protein: You don't have to stick with minced beef to make this dish; you can make it with sausage, minced turkey, or cooked chicken (diced).

You can make this baked pasta with white sauce (Béchamel sauce) instead of meat tomato sauce.

You can replace Italian herbs with dried basil and thyme (¼ teaspoon each).

If you want to make it ahead of time, you can assemble the casserole then put in the fridge 2 days before baking.

How To Serve

I like to serve this dish with Garlic Butter Chicken Bites or Mexican Chicken Tacos.

You can also serve it with Creamy Garlic Chicken Thighs, Savoury Mince, Creamy Mushroom Chicken Breasts or Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast.

How to store, freeze and reheat Pasta al Forno?

To store it, cover well and put in the fridge for 3-4 days. To freeze it, put in a well-sealed container in the freezer for 1-2 months. Let it thaw completely before reheating, then put in the oven for 20 minutes or microwave for 2 minutes.

Sometimes, I slice up the whole casserole and freeze every piece individually, that way it’s easier if I only need one portion or two.

Recipe FAQs

More Pasta Recipes

Easy One-Pot Pasta with veggies

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Recipe Card