Sometimes, even in the heat of summer, you need good, hearty comfort food. You know the type: warm, calorie-heavy, almost gluttonous chow. Despite the mercury in Boston rising well into the 90’s recently, I found myself craving baked pasta. Dare I turn on my small, not-so-greatly-insulated oven?
After about three days of serious turmoil over this contemplation, I bit the bullet and decided to make what I was craving. After all, I didn’t need much to pull it together – all of the ingredients were sitting neatly in my cupboard, taunting me. Giving in, I threw open the doors and frantically assembled the ingredients: a can of tomatoes, a pound of dry pasta shells, tomato paste, garlic… I was on a cooking binge.
As I reached for the temperature knob on the oven, I paused. It was the moment of truth: to preheat or not to preheat. I’d already dragged everything out, but I could still turn back. Did I really want to turn on the oven in this heat? My air conditioners were already struggling to cool the apartment – could they take this extra stress? 
With a surge of blinding adrenaline, I cranked the knob to 350F.
I stepped back, slightly stunned I’d actually done it. I was half expecting to see the oven personify into a scolding elder, dishing out a lecture on the seasonality of the dish I was attempting to prepare. Instead I was met by the tick-tick of the gas igniter followed by the gentle hum of the oven beginning its task. I’d done it.
Slightly more confident now, I boiled water in which to cook the pasta, and embarked on preparing my mise en place. About twenty minutes later, as I finished up a decadent parmesan béchamel, tasting the rich, creamy sauce that I planned to slather onto the shells, I knew I’d made the right decision. There’s nothing quite like this particular baked pasta; restricting it to the winter season alone is simply absurd!
As I layered the béchamel covered shells between the thick, meaty sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese, I wasn’t sure if I could stand to wait the additional 30 minutes required to bake it. I somehow resisted the urge to eat the dish on the spot, finished the assembly, and shut the oven door. I paused again, noticing the apartment really wasn’t that hot – maybe the oven wasn’t as un-insulated as I had originally thought.
A half hour later, the hot, bubbling, tauntingly fragrant dish came out of the oven. I threw a couple generous scoops into a shallow bowl, paired it with an ample serving of garlic bread, and went to town on this baked pasta in my air conditioned mecca of an apartment.
With each bite, I was brought back to the dead of winter, reveling in the cozy, warming dish. Even with the use of the oven, it was the perfect escape from the oppressive heat of July.
PrintPhrugal Phil’s Baked Pasta
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Indulge in this hearty baked pasta, layered with rich parmesan béchamel, savory meat sauce, and gooey mozzarella, perfect for any comfort food craving.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry pasta shells
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
- 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta shells until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sweat for 4-5 minutes until translucent.
- Add the minced garlic to the onions and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef to the pan, cooking until browned and fully cooked through. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Stir in the tomato paste and tomato puree, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour to form a roux, cooking for about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, ensuring there are no lumps. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the béchamel sauce from heat and stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.
- In a large baking dish, layer half of the cooked pasta shells, followed by half of the meat sauce, and half of the béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining pasta, meat sauce, béchamel, and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Let the baked pasta cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy with garlic bread if desired.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, omit the ground beef and add sautéed mushrooms or zucchini. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven for best results. You can substitute penne or ziti for the pasta shells if preferred.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 1200
- Fat: 30
- Carbohydrates: 70
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 90
This looks DELICIOUS! I’m definitely making it tonight. I’ll tell you how it turns out :)