Franco’s Pasta Al Forno

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 lb chopped beef
• 28 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 6 leaves fresh basil
• 1 lb pasta
• 1 lb ricotta cheese
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 8 ounces frozen spinach

Recipe

• 1 sauce.
• 2 saute onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes.
• 3 add meat and brown.
• 4 add red wine and cook for about 5 minutes.
• 5 add sauce and seasonings and simmer for 30 minutes.
• 6 let it cool in refrigerator for at least a couple of hours and remove when ready to assemble the dish.
• 7 skim the fat from the sauce.
• 8 pasta assembly.
• 9 preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• 10 cook the pasta for a couple of minutes less than that indicated on the box as it will continue to cook in the oven.
• 11 reserve some of the mozzarella to top the dish.
• 12 defrost the spinach.
• 13 in a mixing bowl combine the ricotta, the remaining mozzarella, grated cheese and spinach.
• 14 when the pasta is cooked start the assembly in an oven proof casserole. start with a layer of sauce. toss the pasta with the sauce. add a layer of pasta to the casserole. add a layer of the cheese/spinach mixture. repeat with the sauce/pasta/ cheese mixture until all ingredients are used. you should end with a layer of pasta and top it off with a layer grated cheese and mozzarella cheese.
• 15 bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
• 16 enjoy!