A mince pasta bake has always been one of my favorite meals growing up. It’s just comforting and homely that it’s almost impossible not to love! I’ve upped my game a little with this version by making the meat sauce with roasted tomatoes.
Yes it is an extra step but it’s totally unattended cooking time so you barely even feel it and it is so so worth it!
Let’s get cooking…
Mix together the ingredients for the tomatoes and bake fore 30 minutes at 180C, stirring halfway.
While the tomatoes cook, begin prepping the ingredients for the bolognese. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan, I always use a dutch oven here, Le Creuset is my brand of choice but any cast iron pan will do.
Cook onion and carrots until softened then add the mice and cook until it gets golden brown, about 20 minutes. When brown, add the wine to deglaze the pan (scrape the browned bits at the bottom of the pan) and allow to bubble vigorously for 5 minutes. Add herbs, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, honey, water and tomatoes. Mix to combine all the ingredients, cover and simmer on medium to low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. This quantity makes 3 portions of sauce, use one for the pasta bake and freeze the rest.
While the bolognese cooks, make the béchamel and boil the pasta.
For the béchamel, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook for 5 minutes then add the milk, whisk for a minute then stir occasionally for 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Put the pasta, béchamel and bolognese into an oven dish, top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 180C until golden
Ingredients
- Roasted tomatoes
2 cans whole peeled tomatoes
10 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1tsp dried basil
1 tblsp balsamic vinegar
- Bolognese (makes 3 portions)
1 onion, diced
3 tblsp olive oil
1 large carrot, grated
500g mince, I used turkey
1 tblsp honey
1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp oregano
salt
pepper
1/2 cup wine
1 cup water
1 portion of the roasted tomato sauce
- Béchamel
2 cups milk
2 tblsp butter
2 tblsp flour
salt
pepper
nutmeg
- Pasta bake
250g penne pasta
100g cheese for topping
1 portion bolognese sauce
1 portion béchamel sauce
Directions
- Mix together the ingredients for the tomatoes and bake fore 30 minutes at 180C, stirring halfway.
- While the tomatoes cook, begin prepping the ingredients for the bolognese.
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan, I always use a dutch oven here, Le Creuset is my brand of choice but any cast iron pan will do.
- Cook onion and carrots until softened then add the mice and cook until it gets golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- When brown, add the wine to deglaze the pan (scrape the browned bits at the bottom of the pan) and allow to bubble vigorously for 5 minutes
- Add herbs, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, honey, water and tomatoes. Mix to combine all the ingredients, cover and simmer on medium to low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. This quantity makes 3 portions of sauce, use one for the pasta bake and freeze the rest.
- While the bolognese cooks, make the béchamel and boil the pasta.
- For the béchamel, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook for 5 minutes then add the milk, whisk for a minute then stir occasionally for 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Put the pasta, béchamel and bolognese into an oven dish, top with cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 180C until golden
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