I like baked pasta dishes (al forno is fancy for baked) because I can put them together ahead of time and after ten minutes in the oven we have a delicious hot dinner. They’re also stellar reheated for lunch the next day.
For this one I used a very lean ground beef, so I didn’t need to drain the drippings after it has cooked but if you’re using a fattier beef, then you may want to cook the beef first and drain it before adding in the onion, garlic and spinach to cook. I used a penne pasta but any kind of noodle would be great and I recommend using the best mozzarella you can find for the best taste.
What to buy (serves 5-6):
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1 handful of spinach, fresh or frozen
From the store cupboard:
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of dried basil leaves
- 1 pound of dried penne pasta, cooked according to package directions
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- olive oil
What to do:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-proof pan over medium heat
- Add onion and cook 4-5 minutes until soft
- Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant
- Add ground beef to the pan, stirring until browned and cooked throughout
- Add the spinach and a large pinch of nutmeg to the pan, tossing, 2-3 minutes, until wilted
- Add crushed tomatoes, ricotta and basil to the pan, seasoning with salt and pepper
- Simmer for 5 minutes and stir in pasta
- Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish, sprinkle with mozzarella (or leave in your pan if it is oven-safe) and add pan to the oven for about 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melting and bubbling