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.
Bolognese Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 500 g Penne or Ziti
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 500 g Beef Mince 10% Fat
- 250 g Pork Mince 18% Fat
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Grated
- 1 Carrot Grated
- 3 Garlic Cloves Grated
- 1 kg Diced Tomatoes Canned
- 8 g Dried Italian Herbs
- 60 g Parmesan Cheese Grated
- 5 g Flat Leaf Parsley Chopped
- 10 g Fresh Basil Torn or Chopped
- Mozzarella Cheese Use As Much As You'd Like
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- Fresh Basil Torn
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Drizzle
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Place a large saucepan of water over high heat, heavily season with salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta 3 minutes less than what it states on your packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Place a large pot over high heat and allow it to get smoking hot. Add the olive oil, beef mince and pork mince, and fry for 6-7 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink, golden, the water content has evaporated, and it reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F).
- Add the onion, garlic and carrot, and continue frying for 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, season to taste, and bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add the Italian herbs, parmesan cheese, parsley and basil, and mix well to combine. Check for seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and 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 and parmesan cheese (optional), then add the remaining pasta mix and top with more mozzarella and parmesan to cover. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes.
- Portion into 6-8 servings and serve with more parmesan cheese, basil, and extra virgin olive oil.
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.