This Family Favourite Bolognese Pasta Bake Is The Perfect Weeknight Meal.
Pasta bakes are one of those meals that are perfect for any day, night & time of the year. This wholesome & comforting bolognese pasta bake is easy to make, quick & best of all, cheap, with all the ingredients being easily accessible. This recipe is guaranteed success to whomever you serve it, even yourself.
Ingredients
- 500g (1.1lbs) - Penne or Ziti
- 1 Tbsp (20ml) - Olive Oil
- 500g (1.1lbs) - Beef Mince (Ground Beef)
- 250g (8.8oz) - Pork Mince
- 1 - Brown (Yellow) Onion, Grated
- 1 - Carrot, Grated
- 3 - Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1kg (2.2lbs) - Diced Tinned Tomatoes (2 ½ Tins)
- 2 ½ Tbsp (8g) - Dried Italian Herbs
- 60g (2.1oz) - Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated
- 5g (0.2oz) - Flat Leaf Parsley, Roughly Chopped
- 10g (0.3oz) - Basil, Roughly Chopped
- Mozzarella Cheese (Use As Much As You'd Like)
- Seasoning To Taste
- Basil To Serve
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°c-350°f.
- Place a large saucepan of water over a high heat, heavily season with salt & bring to a boil. Cook pasta 3 minutes less than what it states on your packet instructions. Drain & set aside.
- Place a large pot over a high heat & allow it to get smoking hot. Add in the olive oil, beef mince & pork mince, fry for 6-7 minutes or until golden & the water content has evaporated.
- Add in the onion, garlic & carrot & continue frying for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, season to taste & bring the sauce to boil. Reduce the heat to low & simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add in the Italian herbs, parmesan cheese, parsley & basil, mix well to combine. Check for seasoning & simmer for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce & mix well to coat it all in the sauce. Pour half of the pasta mix into a ceramic baking dish, top with freshly grated mozzarella & freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional) then add in the remaining pasta mix & add on more mozzarella & parmesan to cover the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove & let cool for 15 minutes.
- Portion into 6 to 8 servings, serve with more parmesan cheese, basil & extra virgin olive oil.
Nutrition Guide
The above nutrition guide is based on daily averages and is calculated for a single portion.
Recipe Notes
Bolognese Pasta Bake Storage Instructions
This bolognese pasta bake will last up to 4 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer, both stored in an airtight container.
Bolognese Pasta Bake Reheating Instructions
To reheat, place it in a preheated oven set at 180.c – 350.f and heat for 12-15 minutes or until hot in the centre. Alternatively, it can be placed in the microwave and heated in bursts.
Watch How To Make The Recipe
Did You Like This Pasta Bake Recipe?
Please take a second to leave a comment and rating below, and ill get back to you as soon as possible.
Pasta bakes can be flavourless and dull
Nearly wasn’t going to bother making this but really pleased I did
Used a lot of mozzarella cheese to give a really nice flavour and texture
Flavour just got better overtime when reheated during the following week
Happy to hear you enjoyed it. This recipe is definitely full of flavour & I’m happy to hear you agree.
This recipe is sooo good. The fresh herbs really add nice flavor. Made enough to fit in a big casserole dish and had delicious left overs for a while. Highly recommend trying this recipe!
Hey, Steven! Thank you for stopping by! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
I made this for Thanksgiving. It came out great.
But I’ll be honest, it’s best fresh. I placed it in the fridge and the brilliant flavor declined over the days. I guest freezing it is best.
I made this exactly as directed and it was delicious. Brought it to a group dinner and everyone enjoyed it. Great flavor. The prep and stovetop part kept me busy longer than I thought it would, but well worth it!
Side note: This was the first time I ever grated an onion and wow, I get tears in my eyes just thinking about it. Will probably try to do a super-fine dice next time.
This is great to hear! Glad everyone enjoyed it. The grated onion breaks down the cells a lot more than regularly dicing thus creating a really potent smell and lots of tears.