Gratin Baked Rigatoni Bolognese

Arrange the rigatoni vertically in a baking dish.

In a pot, sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the ground beef and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly.

Add the diced canned tomatoes, beef broth, and thyme. Cook for 5-10 minutes. The sauce should not be too dry.

Remove the thyme and add the chopped parsley and chives.

Prepare the white sauce by mixing the cream cheese, heavy cream, mozzarella (100g), salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Spoon the bolognese sauce over the rigatoni, making sure the sauce gets inside the pasta tubes.

Cover with the white sauce and top with the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes until golden brown (gratinated).

Serve hot.