Baked pasta dishes (Pasta al Forno) are Italian comfort food at its finest. Even if you don't have a Nonna, you can still appreciate the home-cooked warmth that this dish brings. A bit of balsamic vinegar adds a lightness and depth to this sauce that we love!
Produced in a facility that processes milk, sesame, eggs, fish, shellfish, crustaceans, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybean and sulphites.
500 g
Ground Beef
340 g
Fusilli
(Contains Wheat)
12 g
Garlic
113 g
Onion, chopped
2 box
Crushed Tomatoes
113 g
Baby Spinach
20 g
Basil
2 tbsp
Balsamic Vinegar
(Contains Sulphites)
100 g
Ricotta Cheese
(Contains Milk)
1 cup
Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
(Contains Milk)
1 tsp
Sugar*
½ tbsp
Oil*
2
Salt and Pepper*
2 tsp
Salt*
Preheat your broiler to high (to broil assembled fusilli al forno). Wash and dry all produce.* In a large pot, add 12 cups water and 2 tsp salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, peel, then mince or grate garlic.
Heat a large oven-proof pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, add 1/2 tbsp oil, then beef. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up beef into smaller pieces, until no pink remains, 4-5 min. (TIP: Cook to a min. internal temp. of 71°C/160°F.**) Add onions and garlic. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until onions soften, 4-5 min.
Meanwhile, add fusilli to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, 9-11 min. When pasta is finished cooking, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
When onions have softened, add pasta water, vinegar, crushed tomatoes and 1 tsp sugar to the pan. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, 5-7 min. Season with salt and pepper. Add fusilli and spinach to the pan. Stir often, until spinach is wilted, 1 min. (NOTE: If you do not have an oven-proof pan, transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 9x13-inch baking dish.)
Dollop ricotta on top of pasta, then sprinkle over mozzarella. Broil in middle of oven, until cheese melts and top layer is golden-brown, 4-5 min.
Divide fusilli al forno between plates and tear over basil leaves.