Calabrian baked pasta (Pasta Mbruscinata)

5 from 24 votes

Calabrian baked pasta (Pasta Mbruscinata)

An extremely rich and filling baked pasta with meatballs from Southern Italy that's perfect for holiday meals, Sunday lunch and special family occasions.

Cook Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Calabria, Italian, Southern Italian

Keyword: baked pasta recipe, Calabria, meatballs, pasta al forno, pasta bake, Sunday sauce

Servings:

Calories: 969kcal

Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

400 g giant fusilli (14oz) or penne, rigatoni, ziti etc
1-2 large mozzarella balls
100 g provolone cheese (3.5oz) or cacciocavallo
4 eggs hard-boiled
100 g Parmigiano (3.5oz) grated or Pecorino

For the Sauce

400 g mixed ground meat (14oz) veal or beef + pork
1-2 carrot
1-2 celery stalk
1 onion
2 tablespoon tomato concentrate/paste
690 g bottle of tomato pulp/passata (1.5lbs)
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ glass of wine red or white
Salt and pepper for pasta and to taste

For the Meatballs

300 g mixed ground meat as for sauce (10.5oz) veal or beef + pork
2 eggs
parsley
100 g grated pecorino/parmesan (3.5oz)
100 g stale bread soaked in milk (3.5oz) or 100g breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Make the meat sauce first

Chop the onion, peeled carrot and celery finely.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet or Dutch oven and add vegetables and cook until soft.
Add the ground meat and brown it well. Add the wine (I prefer white wine), let it evaporate.
Add the tomato paste and tomato pulp and a bit of water if it is too thick. Add a pinch of salt and some black pepper, cover and let simmer for at least an hour.

Prepare the eggs and pasta

Put the 4 eggs on to boil for 5-6 minutes. When cooked rinse with cold water and peel them.
Put a saucepan of salted water on to boil to cook the pasta just less than al dente according to the instructions on the packet. When the pasta is cooked, strain it and put it back in the pan.
While the water for the pasta is heating, prepare the meatballs

Make the meatballs

Soak the bread in milk and once softened squeeze out the excess liquid.
Put the bread or breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl with the ground meat mix, 2 beaten eggs, the grated pecorino/parmigiano cheese, salt and pepper and a little parsley.
Mix all the ingredients together well with your hands, and then make as many small meatballs as you can.
Roll the meatballs in flour and fry them in moderately hot olive oil.
When they are golden, put them in a dish covered with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.

Put the dish together

Add the cooked pasta to the meat sauce and mix well.
Put a layer of pasta and sauce on the bottom of an oven dish. Place half the meatballs on top with pieces of mozzarella and provolone.
Put a second layer of the pasta with sauce on top of the cheese and meatballs.
Top with the rest of the meatballs, mozzarella and provolone. Add the hard boiled eggs and finish with a sprinkling of grated parmigiano or pecorino
Bake at 180 ° C until the cheese starts to turn golden (about 20-30minutes).
Let the baked pasta sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Although Italians would traditionally eat this pasta dish as a first course, it is definitely filling enough to be a one-plate meal. It also reheats well so any leftovers can be refrigerated and eaten the next day .

Nutrition