Tagliatelle al Forno (Baked Tagliatelle with Ragu and Bechamel)
Ribbons of homemade tagliatelle folded through slow cooked ragu, topped with bechamel and parmesan and baked until crisp at the edges.
Made with Slow cooked ragu and White bechamel sauce and Fresh egg pasta dough. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.88 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Make the fresh egg pasta dough (see the base recipe), rest it and roll it to about 1.5 mm. Cut into tagliatelle about 7 mm wide, dust with semolina and nest loosely.
- 2
Warm your ready made slow cooked ragu (see the base recipe) in a large pan until it is just bubbling. Loosen with a splash of water if it is very thick. Warm the bechamel sauce in a small pan and stir in the nutmeg.
- 3
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Butter a large baking dish, about 25 by 35 cm.
- 4
Cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling salted water for 1 minute only. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven, so it should still be firm. Drain, reserving a mug of the cooking water.
1 min - 5
Tip the pasta into the ragu with half the parmesan and toss. Add a splash of the cooking water if it looks dry.
- 6
Spread half the pasta in the dish, spoon over a third of the bechamel, then add the rest of the pasta. Cover with the remaining bechamel, scatter over the rest of the parmesan and the breadcrumbs, and dot with the butter.
- 7
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is deep golden and the edges are crisp and bubbling.
27 min - 8
Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips
- Undercook the pasta in the boiling water. It keeps absorbing sauce in the oven, and a fully cooked noodle turns soft and mushy.
- The crisp, almost frilly pasta edges are the best part, so leave a few strands standing up when you spoon the top layer in.
- Leftover ragu from the base recipe is ideal here, as the sauce can be a little looser than usual when baked pasta is the aim.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 2 hours and keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for up to 2 months, thaw overnight and reheat until steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Is this the same as lasagne?
It is a close cousin. Tagliatelle al forno uses ribbon pasta tossed with ragu instead of flat sheets, and it is a classic Emilia-Romagna way to use the same ragu and bechamel.
Can I use dried pasta?
Yes. Use 400 g dried egg tagliatelle and cook it for 3 minutes, so it is still very firm, before mixing it with the ragu. The texture is a little less silky.
Can I assemble it ahead?
Yes. Assemble, cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Add 10 minutes to the baking time and check it is steaming hot in the middle before serving.
More made with slow cooked ragu
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.