Family meals need to be quick to make, packed with flavour and shouldn’t require hours slaving away in the kitchen. Traybakes are ideal for those busy weeknight suppers when a tasty dish needs serving up without excessive effort.
Mary Berry boasts numerous recipes, but one stands out as particularly simple and “delicious” for the whole family. Her Bolognese bake is made in a single dish, reducing the amount of washing-up required. Home cooks who’ve tested it have described it as a “lovely” meal that produces “clean plates all round,” reports the Express.
Happy Foodie remarked about the recipe: “This all-in-one pasta bolognese bake from Mary Berry’s BBC2 series Simple Comforts is packed with flavour and can be assembled up to six hours in advance.” Mary’s description states: “This is a Bolognese pasta that can be assembled ahead in one dish, ready to pop in the oven. Frying the mushrooms ensures they keep firm and flavoursome, not soft and soggy.”
The bake can be frozen prior to cooking and put together, ready to go in the oven, up to six hours ahead of time. After testing the recipe, one home cook remarked: “This recipe was so very tasty and had plenty of flavour too. My whole family loved it.”
Another shared: “A simple recipe to follow, delicious dinner, never fails, highly recommend.” A further reviewer observed: “Easy to make, easy to cook, easy to follow recipe, lovely dish at the end.” A fourth person commented: “A delicious pasta bake. We love it. Easy recipe and method. Clean plates all round.”
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Method
Warm the oil in a deep frying pan. Tip in the onions and celery and cook over a high heat for roughly three minutes, until they start to soften. Add the mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until thoroughly browned. Stir in the garlic and tomato purée for a few seconds.
Pour in the tomatoes, stock, Worcestershire sauce and redcurrant jelly. Mix well to combine and season generously with salt and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 30 to 35 minutes.
In a separate frying pan, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and fry for one minute over a high heat. Place a lid on the pan and cook for two minutes. Remove the lid and continue frying for a further two minutes. Fold the mushrooms and thyme into the mince mixture and stir thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water following the packet instructions. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water. Fold the pasta into the mince mixture.
Tip everything into an ovenproof dish. Scatter the cheeses over the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and bubbling around the edges. Serve piping hot alongside a green or tomato salad.
