Oven-baked Rigatoni

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500g rigatoni
• 500 g minced meat, mixed
• 3 small onions
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 3 can/n tomatoes, peeled, 400 g each
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 balls of mozzarella
• Parmesan, freshly grated
• olive oil
• 3 tsp vegetable stock powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• Paprika powder
• chili powder
• salt and pepper
• oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• Parsley, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

Pasta and minced meat casserole from Italy

Dice the onion and fry in olive oil. Add the finely chopped garlic and minced meat and fry. Add the tomato paste to the pot, stir briefly, and sauté, then add the slightly finely chopped canned tomatoes. Season with sugar, salt, black pepper, paprika, chili, oregano, bay leaves, parsley, and vegetable stock. Simmer the sauce over low heat for at least 1 hour, or 1.5–2 hours if you have time; the longer the better. Add a little water if necessary. Cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions, drain, and return it to the pot. Add the chopped mozzarella and a little tomato sauce, stir, and transfer to a baking dish greased with olive oil. Pour the remaining tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (top/bottom heat) for approximately 15–20 minutes. Tip: The tomato sauce can easily be prepared the day before.