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Bucatini alla pizzaiola

Total Time1 hour

Ingredients

  • 500 g 1 lb bucatini
  • 750 ml 3 cups of marinara sauce, preferably made with fresh tomatoes
  • A pinch of oregano
  • A few fresh basil leaves
  • 200 g 7 oz mozzarella, cut into cubes
  • Grated parmesan cheese q.b.
  • Salt

For the topping:

  • 2-3 fresh ripe tomatoes sliced
  • Oregano
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Instructions

  • Make the marinara sauce following the recipe found in our post on Tomato Sauce 101, adding a few fresh basil leaves at the end. Leave the sauce quite loose.
  • When the sauce is almost done, cook the bucatini in well salted water for no more than 3 minutes, just so they are pliable. (They will still be quite raw on the inside but no worries, they will cook further in the oven.) Drain and mix the pasta with about half the sauce and some grated cheese in a large bowl.
  • Spread a ladleful of the remaining sauce at the bottom of a baking dish, add some of the dressed bucatini. Sprinkle over half the mozzarella and a pinch of oregano. Repeat with more pasta, mozzarella, sauce and oregano, then just pasta.
  • Top the final layer of pasta with slices of fresh tomato, the oregano and a pinch of salt, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and drizzle everything with olive oil.
  • Bake in a hot (200C/400F) oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until browned on top. If you like a crusty top, you can let it run under the broiler for a minute or two at the end. Let the dish rest for at least another 20 minutes before serving. It is also very nice served at room temperature.