Mince Pasta Bake

5 from 6 votes

Mince Pasta Bake is a hearty pasta with beef, macaroni, tomato sauce and cheese. Quick and easy to make, it will become a family favorite.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: beef mince pasta bake, mince pasta bake

Servings:

Calories: 654kcal

Author: Adrianne

Ingredients

Beef Mince Filling

2 tbs olive oil Note 1
500 grams/16 oz beef mince (ground beef) Note 2
½ large onion peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic chunky,minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs Note 3
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Tomato Sauce

700 grams/24.5 oz passata
400 grams/14 oz diced tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce Note 4

Beans and Vegetables

2 cups celery finely chopped, Note 5
400 grams/14 oz red kidney beans Note 6

Pasta

2 cup dried macaroni Note 7

Cheese topping

½ cup mozzarella cheese grated using a hand held or box grater
½ cup tasty cheese grated using a hand held or box grater

Garnish (optional):

black pepper
basil leaves

Instructions

Preheat the oven: preheat the oven to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
Baking dish: spray a large baking dish with cooking oil and then set aside.
Cook the beef: heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy based pan. Add the garlic, beef mince, onion, Italian herbs, salt and pepper. Cook till browned and use a wooden spoon to stir and break up any clumps of meat as you go.
Tomato sauce: once the minced beef is cooked, reduce the heat to medium-high and add the passata, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Then stir to combine.
Beans and vegetables: next add the celery pieces and red kidney beans to the combined meat and sauce mixture and stir to consistently combine.
Pasta: bring a medium saucepan with salted water to the boil and read and follow the instructions on the macaroni packet to cook it. Stop cooking it when the pasta is al dente (a little bit chewy). Then use a colander over the sink to drain the pasta and discard the water.
Combine: add the cooked hot pasta to the meat and sauce and stir to combine. Then use a wooden spoon to transfer the mixture into the oiled baking dish.
Cheese: sprinkle a layer of each of the tasty cheese and mozzarella cheese over the top of the pasta bake.
Oven bake: place the pasta bake into the oven and cook for 10 - 15 minutes. It will be ready when the cheese has melted and turned golden brown.
Serve: use oven mitts to remove the cooked pasta bake from the oven and place it onto a heat proof surface. Season with black pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Notes

Note 1 - Olive oil: we use the oil to cook the beef mince as one of the initial recipe steps.
Note 2 - Beef mince: also known as ground beef. This is an excellent cut of meat that is versatile and lends itself to a wide variety of recipes and cooking methods.
Note 3 - Italian herbs: also known as Italian seasoning. This helps to bring flavor to the beef as it cooks. You can use 1 teaspoon of either dried basil, parsley or oregano in place of the combined seasoning if you wish to.
Note 4 - Worcestershire sauce: this adds a little oomph to meat based recipes. Give the bottle a shake before measuring the 2 tablespoons.
Note 5 - Celery: adds a vegetable to the pasta bake. We use about 4 stalks and give them a fine slice with a knife and chopping board.
Note 6 - Red kidney beans: this is a standard tin of red kidney beans. We drain and rinse these before adding them to the tomato sauce.
Note 7 - Macaroni: the pasta we use for the recipe is macaroni. It cooks quickly and pairs well with the beef and sauce combination.
Serving size: this recipe will allow for 6 adult servings of the pasta bake. You can also reduce the serving sizes to increase the quantities by making the portions smaller.
Measurements: I use an Australian 20ml tablespoon for measuring where 1 tablespoon has been referred to.

Nutrition