Baked Paccheri Pasta

Step 1

If you plan using a home made pasta sauce, prepare it prior to the rest of the recipe. I recommend this Italian Meat Sauce, This will increase the preparation time noted above.

Step 2

Add two tablespoons of kosher salt to a large pot of water, approximately 1½ gallons, and bring to a boil.

Step 3

Add pasta and simmer for six minutes. Then strain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Lightly toss with olive oil and set aside until assembly. Pasta should be slightly undercooked.

Step 4

Prepare ingredients by finely chopping basil and parsley. Use a Microplane grater to harvest zest from a lemon.

Step 5

In a mixing bowl, add the herbs, seasonings, and honey to one third of the ricotta. Mix this thoroughly before adding the remaining ricotta. Continue to mix until it appears the herbs are evenly dispersed.

Step 6

Once fully mixed place the Ricotta filling into a pastry bag. This is best done by folding the opening over a pitcher or a small Bain Marie and scooping the filling into the bag. Set this in the refrigerator until assembly.

Step 7

In a 3 quart baking dish, add 2 cups of pasta sauce and spread even.

Step 8

Arrange the cooked Paccheri pasta in the pan vertically. Press the noodles into the sauce. It is okay to leave some small gaps between them for some of the shredded mozzarella Cheese to fall into.

Step 9

Using a piping bag with a round tip, fill the Paccheri Pasta with the ricotta cheese filling.

Step 10

Spoon an additional 2 cups of pasta sauce over the stuffed Paccheri.

Step 11

Finally, top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Try to press some into the gaps between the pasta. The more of the pasta that can be seen, the more crispy bites you will end up with.

Step 12

In a 375 F oven, bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese is the level of brown that you prefer. Rotate pan halfway through the cooking time to get even browning.

Step 13

Remove from oven and allow the pasta bake to rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

Step 14

Serve with the reserved pasta sauce. I recommend placing some sauce on the plate before spooning a portion of the pasta on the plate.