Il Cucinologo
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Baked Pasta with White Ragù

17/11/2023

Baked pasta with white ragù is a hearty dish, a lighter variant of the classic baked pasta with red ragù. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

  • 500 g short pasta (penne, rigatoni, etc.)
  • 300 g mixed ground meat (veal and pork)
  • 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 500 ml béchamel
  • 100 g grated Parmesan
  • 200 g mozzarella (or other melting cheese), cubed
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Nutmeg to taste (optional, for the béchamel)
  • Meat or vegetable broth if needed
  • Butter for greasing the baking dish

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the white ragù. In a large skillet, sauté the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil until softened.

  2. Add the ground meat to the soffritto and cook until nicely browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the ragù dries out too much, add a little broth to keep the sauce moist.

  3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about half the time indicated on the package. The pasta should be very al dente since it will continue cooking in the oven.

  4. Prepare the béchamel by heating the milk in a small saucepan. In another saucepan, melt a knob of butter and add the flour, stirring for a couple of minutes to cook the flour without browning it. Gradually add the hot milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Add a grating of nutmeg and adjust the salt.

  5. Drain the pasta and mix it with the white ragù. Stir in about three-quarters of the béchamel and half of the grated Parmesan.

  6. Take a baking dish, grease it with a little butter and pour in the pasta mixture. Level it out and cover with the remaining béchamel and the cubed mozzarella.

  7. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining Parmesan and a few knobs of butter.

  8. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C for about 20-25 minutes, until the surface is golden and crispy.

Trivia

Baked pasta is a dish that is interpreted in many different ways across the various Italian regions, with ingredients that can vary according to local traditions and seasonal availability. White ragù is a more delicate and less caloric variant compared to the tomato version, but no less flavorful for that.

If desired, you can further customize the dish by adding sautéed mushrooms or even pieces of prosciutto to enrich the flavor of the ragù.