Name: Baked Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 5 people
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400 g rigatoni pasta (or whatever shape you prefer); 600 g Mutti Pasta Sauce with Grilled Vegetables; 300 g meltable cheese; t.t. grated cheese; 250 ml milk; 15 g flour; 15 g extra virgin olive oil; t.t. salt; t.t. pepper; t.t. nutmeg

Ingredients

5 people

400 g rigatoni pasta (or whatever shape you prefer)
600 g Mutti Pasta Sauce with Grilled Vegetables
300 g meltable cheese
t.t. grated cheese
250 ml milk
15 g flour
15 g extra virgin olive oil
t.t. salt
t.t. pepper
t.t. nutmeg

Made with

Pasta Sauce with Grilled Vegetables

Discover more

Method

1

First, prepare the béchamel sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the extra virgin olive oil and the flour. Turn on the heat and whisk well until the mixture begins to gently bubble.
2

Now add the milk or a plant-based alternative, continuing to whisk, and bring it to a gentle simmer. After 3–4 minutes, the béchamel should have slightly thickened. Turn off the heat, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste, and set aside.
3

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water for half of its recommended cooking time, as it will continue cooking in the oven. Once ready, drain the pasta into a large bowl and toss it with Mutti with Grilled Vegetables. Mix well to coat evenly.
4

Now assemble the baked pasta. In a 28x21 cm (11x8-inch) baking dish, spread half of the pasta mixture in an even layer. Then, sprinkle generously with melting cheese and add 3–4 tablespoons of béchamel sauce.
5

Add the remaining pasta, then top with more melting cheese, béchamel, and a sprinkling of grated cheese and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes.

A dish the whole family will enjoy

Baked pasta is one of those great classics of Italian cuisine that always wins everyone over. It’s a rich and flavorful first course, perfect for Sunday lunch, a family dinner, or any special occasion when you want to serve something simple yet truly satisfying. Easy to prepare and incredibly comforting, it’s the kind of recipe that delivers pure comfort with every bite. When enriched with plenty of melting cheese and a creamy, velvety béchamel sauce, baked pasta becomes even more irresistible: soft in the center, enveloping, and full of flavor. For this recipe, we chose Mutti Pasta Sauce with Grilled Vegetables, genuine and full-bodied, with delicious pieces of grilled vegetables, that coats every shape of pasta perfectly, creating a harmonious blend of flavors.

The secret to a perfect golden crust

What makes a baked pasta dish truly creamy and perfectly gratinated? Beyond the soft, gooey filling, what makes it special is the golden crust that forms on top during baking. That contrast between the light crunch on the surface and the tender, creamy heart is what makes this oven-baked pasta so irresistible. To achieve the perfect crust, the secret is simple: switch on the oven’s grill (broiler) function for about three minutes at the end of cooking. This small step allows the top to brown evenly, giving your baked pasta a beautifully golden and appetizing finish that will have everyone eager to dig in before it even reaches the table. A simple yet decisive detail that transforms a good baked pasta into a truly memorable one.