Bolognese Pasta Bake Recipe

If there’s one dinner that’s sure to please most kids, it’s a yummy bowl of spaghetti bolognese. This bolognese pasta bake is a fresh take on a family favourite classic.

One of the reasons I love a pasta bake is that you can cook it earlier in the day and then reheat it when you’re ready! And if your family is anything like mine, often someone will come home later, so a pasta bake is perfect because it can be kept warm in the oven.

This recipe makes enough for a family of 4 with very generous sized servings, but if your family is bigger (or you have some very hungry kiddies) then just increase the amount of pasta. We usually find that we have leftovers for lunch the next day… which is great because then you don’t have to make anything for lunch (and we all know that pasta leftovers taste amazing!).

You can also freeze any leftovers in a sealed plastic container, which makes for a super quick and easy dinner when you get home from work late. 

So let’s get into the recipe…

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

500g beef mince

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 zucchini, finely chopped

500g tomato based pasta sauce

2 tbs tomato paste

400g can crushed tomatoes

100g baby spinach

250g shell pasta

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius.
2. Lightly grease a large oven-proof casserole dish.
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan.
4. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant.
5. Add the beef mince and stir for five minutes or until brown and any lumps have been broken up.
6. Add the carrot and zucchini and stir for 2-3 minutes or until soft.
7. Pour in the pasta sauce, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.
8. Season to taste.
9. Place a lid on top of the frying pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
10. Meanwhile cook the pasta shells in a pot of boiling water until al dente.
11. Drain the pasta shells and place into the oven-proof casserole dish.
12. Add the baby spinach to the tomato mixture and stir until the leaves wilt.
13. Spoon the sauce onto the pasta and mix through.
14. Top with grated cheese.
15. Place into the oven for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy!
What are your favourite family dinners?