fbpx

Mostaccioli: The Great Italian Party Dish

Every family has a favorite party dish, regardless of cultural background or ethnic makeup or religious observance. I happen to think that every special occasion in my family should contain a very large pasta dish of some sort: lasagna, pasta with meatballs, eggplant Parmesan or mostaccioli, that oven baked pasta dish that is oh-so filling and warms up the house with the aromas of Italy.

rosemary herb and garlic

To me, its comfort food, its party food, it’s family food. It reminds me of home, of my childhood, of growing up surrounded by the people I care so deeply about in this world and who love me back. Isn’t that what good party food is, anyway, regardless of the actual dish? It’s that feeling and emotional attachment to something special, wholesome and dear to you.

I actually feel like my second go-to dish on ‘Eid would be arroz con gandules y pollo (rice with beans and chicken) because the Puerto Rican side of my family was always the second stop on family holidays, and that is typically what was served. Needless to say, we always ate so well and food brought everyone together, even families from very different cultural backgrounds who could savor foods that were considered ‘exotic’ to them because they was such hospitality surrounding the sharing of these traditional dishes.

I know for many Muslims, ‘traditional’ Eid foods are very far away from Italian or Latin recipes, but from the perspective of someone who was not raised to observe Eid, it’s important to recognize that our cultural backgrounds usually carry a lot of food history that absolutely does not have to discarded simply because of a change in religious observation. In fact, the Muslim community is such a melting pot of diversity that what makes Eid gatherings so very interesting is looking at what remains special to each individual, family and community at the Eid table.  With the inclusion of many Latinos and Europeans who are joining the Muslim community, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more diversity at the table that isn’t actually rooted in Eastern or Asian foods; perhaps it will fuse with them and perhaps they will remain traditional at the core of their geographic and cultural roots while of course being halal through and through. It’s an exciting time to attend an Eid gathering, to cook for an Eid party and to simply be a part of one of the most special times of year for billions of Muslims worldwide. Invite neighbors, family and friends who otherwise would never be able to get a glimpse of this beautiful gathering of diversity- who knows, you may even gather a collection of recipes you didn’t even know about before…

Okay, on to the Mostaccioli dish…

Sorry for the detour.

mostaccioli dish

Start with a great sauce- it’s everything.

tomato sauce 700

If you have a favorite brand you like to buy, that’s fine. If you want to make a super quick homemade version, I have a tried and true recipe in my cookbook which I make all the time.

mostaccioli horizontal

You need to give yourself some time for this recipe, too. It’s slow food at its best in the sense that it does take time to prepare, but it’s absolutely one of those dishes you won’t mind spending time on because the result is so fantastic. Even people who think they don’t like pasta dishes or too much tomato sauce, actually turn up loving this dish. I’ve even had my friend’s kids devour plates of this and later been told that their kids had never even tasted pasta, that they were more of rice eaters.

Surprise, surprise.

Oh, and if you’re in doubt about the cheeses used in this recipe or just have some questions about them, head on over to my cheese and dairy page where I give suggestions on halal-friendly or vegetarian-friendly options.

I’m so excited for you guys to try this recipe- let me know how you love it!

Bismillah and Buon Appetito!

Mostaccioli (Baked Pasta Dish)

By Yvonne Published: August 8, 2013

  • Yield: 10-12 Servings
  • Prep: 60 mins
  • Cook: 50 mins
  • Ready In: 2 hrs 0 min

Simple and fresh Italian ingredients all baked together for the perfect hearty family style dish. Makes your kitchen smell great, too!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and set aside until the sauce is ready.
  3. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the ricotta with milk until the ricotta is completely smooth. Add salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Mix to combine all the ingredients and set aside.
  4. Mix the cooked pasta with the warmed tomato sauce until the pasta is completely combined.
  5. Drizzle the bottom of a large baking dish with olive oil. Create a layer of pasta with sauce on top.
  6. Dollop several large spoons of the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta. Layer with another round of pasta and sauce that covers the ricotta mixture. Add more spoons of the ricotta mixture on top and continue to do this until there is no more pasta left.
  7. Cover the top with shredded mozzarella and then fresh parsley. Cover with aluminum foil and create several slits to allow air to escape during baking.
  8. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about ten minutes before serving.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. MyHalalKitchen.com is a participant in the Amazon Services, LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Please see my affiliates disclosure page for more detailed information about the companies with who I am affiliated. 

Related Articles

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. ASAK Yvonne,

    I made this for my family and now my eight-year old twins are hooked and have requested it, rather insistently, once a week. 🙂 It was a huge hit to say the least. I did tweak it a bit to fit my family’s palette, as I believe all great recipes should allow for (and yours definitely does). My carnivorous kids like ground beef (with a pinch of cayenne pepper) in the sauce and I added fresh basil and oregano. Thank you for this awesome recipe.

    1. Wa’alaikum as salaam Shabnam, I am SO SO happy to hear this, thank you so much for sharing this with me, for trying the recipe int he first place. It is very encouraging to hear that your kids love the recipe, that is what I LOVE to hear!

  2. Hi, I have a question. Can I use this recipe to make lasagna? Instead of penne I’ll use lasagna and put ricotta cheese layers in the middle? Cuz I already bought lasagna sheets for Eid party and my kids love it. Normally I make it with ground beef but I’m thinking this time I can make it with ricotta, what do u think:)

Get the latest updates & lots of FREE goodies!

Subscribe To My Quick Bites Newsletter

By signing up, you’ll be notified when new recipes and other tasty treats are cooked up in my kitchen!