• Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and don't forget to keep a pot of water with salt to boil for cooking the pasta.

Cook the meat in the sauce:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet or oven-friendly shallow saute pot over medium heat.
  2 tbsp olive oil
• Add the ground beef and cook it until it is nicely browned and crumbled. Remember to drain any excess fat.
  300 grams ground beef
• Toss in your diced onion and minced garlic, and sauté them until they're softened and aromatic.
  1 medium onion, 2 to 3 garlic cloves
• Sprinkle Italian seasoning and chilli flakes and mix through.
  2 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Pour in the pasta sauce or crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let this saucy goodness simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
  380 ml pasta sauce, Salt and pepper to taste
• While the sauce is simmering, take time to boil and drain the pasta as per pack instructions for al dente.
  250 grams pasta of your choice

Assemble for baking

• Remove the pot from the hob and stir in the ricotta cheese and boiled pasta.
  ½ cup ricotta cheese
• Spread the shredded mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese to cover all of the pasta.
  100 grams shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Bake and serve

• Place the pot uncovered in the preheated oven and bake it for 20-25 minutes, or until it's all bubbly and the cheese on top is golden brown.
• Once it's out of the oven, let it cool for a couple of minutes. Then, garnish with some fresh basil if you want. Finally, serve up your mouthwatering pasta al forno and enjoy the deliciousness!