Pasta Bake

Comfort food at it's finest. I had never really eaten a pasta bake (apart from lasagna) until I met the wonderful Ali. She cooked them quite often when we first got together so it's safe to say I fell in love twice. The perfect pasta bake should be slightly burnt (or charred as i prefer) on top. The crispy bits of pasta and cheese really add a dimension not found in a standard pasta dish. I omitted any parmesan/pecorino from the recipe as I used the outstanding Irish Buffalo Ricotta and Mozzarella made by Toonsbridge Dairy in Co. Cork and I didn't want another cheese to mask the flavour. If you are using cow's milk mozzarella and ricotta, feel free to sprinkle some parmesan or pecorino over the top to enhance the flavour a little. 

Serves 3

3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
3 fillets of Anchovies in Oil (finely chopped)
300g Tomato Passata
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
250g Fusilli Pasta (or Penne)
100g Buffalo Ricotta (chopped/torn into chunks)
1 Ball of Buffalo Mozzarella (chopped/torn into chunks)
3 slices of Prosciutto di Parma (torn into small pieces)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic and anchovies. Season with pepper and cook for 5-6 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the passata and oregano, bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

2. Meanwhile bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil and add 10-12g of salt. Add the pasta to the pot, return to the boil and cook for 3 minutes less than instructed on the box (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven.) Drain the pasta, return to the pot and pour in the sauce. Mix well before adding the ricotta, mozzarella and prosciutto. Stir well.

3. Add the pasta mix to a lasagna dish (or any baking dish of suitable size) and bake in a preheated 170 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.