Pasta bakes are often a go-to midweek meal for their ease and simplicity. Not only are they a great way of using up any leftovers, they can be made with a range of sauces and pasta shapes.
Bolognese is a staple dinner in many British households, but Mary Berry has transformed this traditional dish into a hearty bake perfect for a cosy evening meal. The cook has devised the ultimate homely recipe with her “simple” bolognese pasta bake, which takes less than half an hour to prepare. The recipe was initially shared on her TV programme ‘Mary Berry’s Simple Comforts’ and can now be found in an online video or on the BBC website.
Mary Berry enthused, “It’s crispy brown on top, and underneath it will be soft with the sauce… I can’t think of anything I’ll enjoy more with family on a weekday than this wonderful pasta bake.”
To rustle up this scrumptious supper, you’ll need a deep pot or frying pan, a lidded pan, and a large oven-proof shallow dish.
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 675g minced beef
- 350-550ml of beef stock, depending on how shallow your oven dish is.
- 250g of sliced chestnut mushrooms
- 400g (two cans) of chopped tomatoes
- Two chopped onions
- Two chopped-up celery sticks
- Two crushed garlic gloves
- Two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
- Two tablespoons of redcurrant jelly
- One tablespoon of olive oil for cooking
- One tablespoon of butter for cooking
- One tablespoon of thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the top:
- 50g of grated cheddar cheese
- 30g of parmesan cheese
For the pasta:
Method
Firstly, preheat your oven to 200C.
Heat some oil in a deep frying pan. Once hot, add onions and celery and cook on high heat until the vegetables soften, which should take around three minutes.
Next, add the mince and use two wooden spatulas to break the mince apart as meat often sticks together. Fry until golden and brown.
Next, add both the garlic and tomato puree to the sauce, giving it a good stir. Incorporate the Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and redcurrant jelly.
Finally, pour in your beef stock and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover your pan and let the sauce simmer on low heat for around 30 minutes.
Now, cook the mushrooms for about five minutes. In a separate lidded pan, melt the butter and fry the mushrooms on high heat for about a minute.
Cover with the lid and cook for two minutes. Remove the lid and then cook the mushrooms on high heat again for an additional two minutes.
Add both the mushrooms and some thyme to the mince sauce and give it a good mix.
It’s time to prepare the pasta. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water until it softens.
Drain and then rinse under water before adding it to the bolognese mixture.
Assemble the bolognese into a large shallow ovenproof dish. Be sure to sprinkle generously with cheese and bake for around 25 to 30 minutes.
Once golden and bubbling at the top, remove and serve it fresh out of the oven.