Imqarrun il-Forn - Maltese Style Baked Pasta

.

So, this morning my Canadian [with Maltese roots] friend Steven Tanti at work asked me if I have a Baked Pasta recipe....of course I do I answered...so now I am posting this traditional Maltese recipe which in Malta we call Imqarrun. This dish is one the favourite in Maltese cuisine and everyone has its own touches and special ingredients, in fact this our take on Imqarrun. It is just that little lighter, I guess!! :) One of the originals recipes has chopped hard boiled eggs in it, whilst they are are great addition, we only use eggs to bind the pasta mixture. Oh well, enough said and here is the recipe. You will need...

• 500g Rigatoni/Tortiglioni/Penne
• 700ml Tomato Passata
• 500g Lean Minced Beef
• 4 eggs
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250g Edam or Cheddar cheese, grated
• Vegetable Oil
• 1 level tsp mixed herbs [optional]
• Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil and fry the onion until soft and transparent.
2. Add the minced meat and cook until brown. Remove any excess fat from the pan.
3. Add the passata and herbs, if used. Simmer for about an hour on medium heat, stirring the sauce occasionally. [If you are in a hurry cook for 30 minutes on high heat, but the slower the cooking the better the sauce]
4. In the meantime cook the pasta in boiling water. [Tip: if the pasta packet says 12 minutes, cook it for 10 minutes instead to avoid having a soggy pasta dish]
5. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5 [200°C].
6. When pasta is done, drain the water and leave the pasta in the pan [make sure you use a big enough pan].
7. Add the sauce to the pasta and crack the 3 eggs in the pasta/sauce mixture. Mix in the eggs very gently to avoid damaged the pasta shapes.
8. Put in a baking dish about 30cm & 15cm and sprinkle the cheese on top.
9. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and golden.
10. When cooked, leave to set for about 10 minutes and serve hot.

Enjoy!!
R & A