Baked pizzaiola pasta

Ingredients for 4:
1 liter of tomato puree (passata)
EVO oil to taste
2 cloves of garlic
400 gr pasta (radiatori in my case)
400 gr mozzarella
a teaspoon of oregano
2 tablespoons capers
100 g grated Grana Padano cheese
5 medium-rare round tomatoes
Salt

Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Let’s cook!

In a saucepan, put a teaspoon of EVO oil, the garlic and let it brown.
Add the tomato passata and cook it over moderate heat.
As soon as the sauce starts to bubble, add salt and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

Bring water to a boil in a tall pot. Add the salt.
Cook the pasta for less than half the time indicated on the package (in my case 3 minutes, since the time indicated on the package was 8 minutes). It is important not to cook for longer, since the cooking will continue in the oven.
Drain and set the pasta aside.

Cut the mozzarella into small cubes.
In a bowl, pour the pasta, add a ladleful of sauce, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, oregano, half of the quantity of grated Grana Padano cheese, and roughly chopped capers. Stir well.

Take an ovenproof dish, add some of the sauce to the bottom, then add half of the pasta and all the diced mozzarella. Then cover with a couple of ladles of sauce and the other half of the pasta.
Finish the top layer with the remaining sauce, sliced tomatoes, and grated Grana Padano cheese.

Bake first in a preheated oven at 180° for 30-40 min and then bake for the last 5 min on the grill.

Tip: Do not serve immediately but wait for half an hour or so before serving so that the pasta compacts well and is easy to cut, without breaking down.

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