Florentine meatball pasta bake

Make over the classic sausage pasta bake with this easy, family-friendly version that transforms Italian pork sausages into juicy meatballs (with no rolling or breadcrumbs needed!). Smothered with a layer of creamy béchamel sauce and a golden bubbly cheese crust, this pasta bake is a real crowd-pleaser.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Ingredients

• Salt
• 500 g penne pasta
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 500 g Italian pork sausages
• ½ cup (125 ml) white wine
• 1 large bunch English spinach, roughly chopped
• 300 ml thickened cream
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 cups grated cheese

For the béchamel topping

• ½ cup plain flour
• 75 g butter
• 1 litre milk
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder

Resting time: 15 minutes

Instructions

1. Start with the béchamel topping. Combine the flour and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring for 2 minutes, until the mixture forms a roux. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, stirring well between each addition to remove any lumps, until the mixture forms a thick, smooth sauce. Stir through the chicken stock powder, then remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions, testing the pasta 2 minutes before the printed time on the packet.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180˚C. Heat a heavy-based 20 x 30 cm heatproof roasting tray over medium heat (or alternatively, use a large ovenproof saucepan). Add the oil, onion and garlic to the tray (or pan) and cook, stirring for 6 minutes, or until the onion starts to brown. Squeeze the filling from the sausage casings into little meatballs directly into the pan and fry until lightly browned.
4. Pour the white wine into the pan and bring to a simmer, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the base of the pan. Add the spinach and stir to wilt, then add the cooked pasta, ½ cup pasta cooking water and the thickened cream. Season well with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.
5. Flatten the top of the pasta and pour over the prepared béchamel sauce, smoothing it out to an even layer, then sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then switch the oven to grill mode and grill for 10 minutes further, or until the cheese is golden.
6. Remove the meatball pasta bake from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

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