This recipe was born out of a need to use up minced beef and tomatoes and a desire for something really hearty and delicious. This is one I guarantee that the whole family will love. It’s perfect for a mid-week dinner when you need something really comforting but there’s also something really special about this dish making it a nice weekend treat.
This recipe serves 3 – 4 people, depending on hunger!
Beef and Tomato Pasta Bake
Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: EasyServings
3
servingsPrep time
5
minutesCooking time
45
minutesIngredients
1 medium onion, diced into small diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
230g lean minced beef
1 pint of beef stock
200g chopped tomatoes (I used mixed cherry tomatoes but use regular tomatoes / tinned tomatoes if that’s what you have)
40g grated parmesan
1 small packet of fresh basil (20g packet)
200g fussili pasta
40g buffalo mozzarella (optional)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Heat a little bit of olive oil and unsalted butter in a pot over low – medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and a pinch of salt and leave to soften away slowly for around 5 minutes.
- Once the onion is nice and soft (but not browned) add the garlic, stir for a minute and add the minced beef. You may need to add a little bit more olive oil at this stage if the pot is dry.
- Leave the beef to cook, stirring now and then, for 5 – 10 minutes until cooked through. Then add the chopped tomatoes, stir for a few minutes and add the beef stock.
- Increase the heat to bring the sauce up to the boil. Then reduce the heat to medium and season with salt and pepper (and red chilli flakes if you want a bit of heat).
- Place a lid on the pot but leave it slightly tilted to allow the steam to escape.
- Leave to simmer away gently for 20 – 25 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta in a large pot of water with a dash of salt and a big pinch of salt. Cook the pasta until it’s al dente according to the packet instructions. This should be marked on the packet but if it isn’t just deduct 2 minutes from the recommended cooking time.
- Drain the pasta when it’s cooked and add it into the pot with the sauce. Stir through the parmesan and the chopped basil and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Pour the pasta mixture into an oven proof dish and cook in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes.
- When there is still around 8 minutes left on the cooking time, tear the buffalo mozzarella up and dot it around the top of the pasta (if using).
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan.
