Baked Stuffed Pasta

Paccheri al Forno

Large paccheri tubes filled with ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and parsley, baked upright in sauce until bubbling and golden.

Serves 8 (or 6 very generously) 1 hour Easy Vegetarian Option

Stuffed, Baked, and Built to Impress

This is one of those dishes that looks like it took all day, but the work is mostly boiling pasta, mixing cheese, stuffing tubes, and letting the oven do the rest.

Use meat sauce for a richer version or marinara to keep it vegetarian. A springform pan makes the presentation especially dramatic, but a regular baking dish works just fine.

Cook a little more paccheri than you need. Some tubes may split while boiling, and the extras are perfect for snacking.

Equipment

  • Large pot for boiling pasta
  • Saucepan for warming sauce
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Colander
  • Knife and cutting board
  • 9x9 baking dish or 9-inch springform pan
  • Baking sheet, if using springform
  • Cooking thermometer, recommended

Instructions

  1. Prep the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Chop the parsley.
  2. Make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, most of the Parmesan, a large handful of the shredded mozz, parsley, and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined. If using sausage, fold it in now.
  3. Cook the pasta. Boil the paccheri until just shy of al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain carefully.
  4. Cool the pasta. Rinse briefly with cold water so the pasta is cool enough to handle. This is not usually ideal for pasta, but it works here because the pasta will be stuffed and baked.
  5. Prevent sticking. Return the drained pasta to the pot and gently toss with a cup of sauce.
  6. Stuff and arrange. Lightly oil the baking dish if needed. Stuff each paccheri about halfway with filling, then stand the tubes upright in the dish.
  7. Pack tightly. Fit the paccheri snugly together. The tight fit helps the tubes hold their shape while baking.
  8. Add sauce and cheese. Spoon sauce over the top, letting some fall into the openings. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
  9. Bake. Bake on the center rack until hot throughout and the center reaches 165°F, about 25–35 minutes.
  10. Brown the top, if desired. Turn on the broiler for 2–3 minutes at the end, watching carefully.
  11. Rest and serve. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with extra warm sauce at the table.

Paul’s Notes

Why undercook the pasta?

Paccheri is more likely to split the longer it boils, and it continues cooking in the oven as the filling and sauce heat through.

Make it vegetarian

Skip the sausage and use marinara sauce instead of meat sauce.

Using springform

A springform pan gives the dish a dramatic upright presentation. Place it on a baking sheet in case any sauce leaks.

Serve It With Extra Sauce

The stuffed paccheri are rich and cheesy, so warm extra sauce on the side lets everyone spoon over as much as they like.

Cook with me

Want to learn this dish hands-on?

Pasta al forno is one of the best dishes to learn in class because it teaches pasta cookery, layering, balancing sauce and cheese, and how to build a baked pasta that holds together beautifully. Ask about adding it to a private cooking class in Naperville or the surrounding Chicago suburbs.

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