Beef Pasta Bake with Tomato Sauce
This hearty, warming dish is easy to make and ideal for a chilly evening. We are using minced beef and spiral pasta to make it, along with cheese and an oregano-infused tomato sauce. Bacon, garlic and vegetables add to the hearty flavour. You can add some mushrooms or celery too, just before adding the minced beef, if you like.
This makes a nice change from spaghetti Bolognese, lasagne or those other pasta-based recipes you find yourself making all the time, and you will find the leftovers are great the next day. It reheats nicely in the oven. Serve this just as it is or perhaps with some garlic bread or a simple salad on the side.
Photo by Steve Johnson, on Flickr
Ingredients
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- chopped garlic cloves – 2
- chopped onion – 1
- finely chopped bacon (fat removed) – 2 slices
- finely chopped carrot – 1
- minced beef – 500g
- condensed tomato soup – 440g
- tomato ketchup – 1 tablespoon
- tomato paste – 75ml
- dried oregano – 1 teaspoon
- uncooked pasta spirals – 150g
- grated cheddar cheese – 125g
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pot.
- Cook the garlic, onion, bacon and carrot, stirring often, until carrot is just tender.
- This should take about 8 minutes.
- Add the minced beef and cook it until brown.
- Add the soup (not diluted) and the ketchup, tomato paste and oregano.
- Simmer for 15 minutes with a lid on, or until the mixture is a bit thicker.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta, following the instructions on the package.
- Drain the pasta, then stir it into the beef mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into a greased ovenproof dish and sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Bake for 15 minutes uncovered, or until the top is golden brown.
