Paccheri Pasta

A plate of baked paccheri pasta tubes stuffed with ground meat and tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese.

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5 from 2 votes

Make my mouth-watering paccheri pasta, loaded with savory goodness from the beef, tomatoes, cheese, and fresh herbs.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beef, pasta

Servings:

Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Pound ground beef lean
1 Pound Italian sausage sweet or hot
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Cup yellow onion diced
8 Cloves garlic thinly sliced
½ Cup red wine
2 Cans whole tomatoes San Marzano, 28-Ounce Cans
½ Cup beef stock or broth
1 Tablespoon basil dried
1 Tablespoon oregano dried
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
½ Teaspoon black pepper
1 Pound paccheri pasta makes 28 Ounces cooked
¼ Cup fresh basil chiffonade cut
1½ Cups mozzarella cheese shredded
1 Cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

In a small mixing bowl, add the whole San Marzano tomatoes. Using your hands, press and crush them into smaller pieces. Set aside. (You can skip this step if you can find canned crushed San Marzano tomatoes in your area).
In a large 12-inch deep, oven-safe skillet, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage together over a medium heat. Strain the cooked meat from the pan into a bowl and set aside. Once the meat is removed, carefully pour the grease into a heat-safe container.
Add the olive oil to the same pan and cook over a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook for an additional minute, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula to avoid burning the garlic.
Add the red wine, deglaze the pan, and let it simmer over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked ground beef, tomatoes, beef stock, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the sauce for 20 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain when cooked and set aside.
Add the pasta and the fresh basil to the skillet and mix well to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Top with all the mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheese.
Cover the skillet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Uncover and return the oven. Broil on low to brown the cheese topping, about 2 or 3 minutes.
Serve hot with extra parmesan cheese, and garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley.

Notes

Let it rest before serving: I know it's tempting to dig in right away, but letting the pasta rest for 5 to 10 minutes helps the sauce thicken slightly and makes it much easier to serve.
Save some pasta water: Before draining the paccheri, I like to reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water. If the sauce thickens more than you'd like, just stir in a splash until it's perfectly silky again.
Coat every piece of pasta: Take an extra minute to gently toss the paccheri with the sauce before baking. Those large pasta tubes are great at catching the rich meat sauce, and you want every bite to be full of flavor.
Cover before uncovering: Keep the dish covered for the first part of the baking time to lock in moisture, then remove the cover for the last few minutes so the cheese turns beautifully golden and bubbly.

Nutrition

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