Baked Stuffed Tufoli
Submitted by scheetz
Large pasta tubes get stuffed with a mixture of mashed meatballs and spinach, then layered with slow-simmered tomato sauce and Parmesan for an Italian feast that feeds a crowd.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
2 hrsREADY
4 hrsThis is old-school Italian-American comfort food at its finest: big pasta tubes stuffed with savory filling and baked in homemade tomato sauce.
You start by making meatballs from beef and pork, browning them, then simmering them in a from-scratch tomato sauce for over an hour. Once cooked, you mash the meatballs and mix them with spinach, egg, and cheese to create the stuffing. Pipe or spoon this into cooked tufoli (giant tube pasta), layer everything in a casserole with sauce and more cheese, then bake until bubbly.
It’s a labor of love, but it feeds 6 to 8 people generously and tastes even better the next day.
Chef Tips
- Make sauce a day ahead: The tomato sauce actually improves overnight as flavors meld.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Cook tufoli until almost tender (al dente), as it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Stuffing shortcut: Use a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner cut off to fill the tubes quickly.
- Freeze for later: Assemble the casserole, cover tightly, and freeze unbaked for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 15-20 minutes.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix all ingredients for meat balls together thoroughly, except the last, olive oil.
Form into medium sized balls: brown in oil. Set aside and cook in tomato sauce later.
To make tomato sauce: Heat the oil: add onion, green pepper, garlic, mushrooms (drained and halved) and sauté until golden.
Stir in tomato paste; cook for 4 minutes.
Press plum tomatoes through a strainer; add an equal amount of water.
Combine with tomato paste mixture.
Add sugar, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil; add meatballs and cook over low heat 1½ hours or until sauce thickens slightly.
Remove meatballs and put aside.
Cook tufoli in 6 quarts boiling, salted water for 12 to 15 minutes or until almost tender.
Mash meat balls in a bowl. Add spinach, salt, 2 tablespoons cheese and the egg, mixing well.
Stuff this mixture into cooked tufoli.
Cover bottom of a large casserole dish with half of sauce and arrange alternate layers of stufted tufoli and sauce, sprinkling each layer with cheese; finish with sauce.
Cover dish and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce and cheese.
Serves 6 very generously.
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