Super Fast, Super Easy, Beef Bolognaise Bake!

Hello again :) Thank you for dropping by :) Apologies for not having posted for almost a week, life stuff got away from me unfortunately.  I thought I might post one of my favourites mid week meals which is so easy, and so fast to make that it will probably take about as long to read this recipe than to make it :) So, dear gentle reader, why not grab a cuppa, put your feet up and do let me know what you think :)

Super Fast, Super Easy Beef Bolognaise

I love this recipe because it takes no time at all to whip together & pop into oven. On nights when I'm working late shift, this leaves me time for a quick shower & into jammies just in time to take it out of the oven and enjoy :)

Ingredients:

1.  A 500gm packet of Fusilla pasta - feel free to substitute your favourite pasta here.

2. 1 carton/tin of chopped tomatoes

3. 1 jar of bolognaise sauce (I know, making it from scratch is fun but this recipe is for busy/I'm tired days so cut yourself a break and take the easy route, unless you're fabulously organized & have some homemade in the fridge and then use that :)

4. Approx 400gm of minced beef - don't stress about weighing! I buy a large bag of minced beef from Farmfoods (which has finely chopped onion mixed through) and use around half a bag for this.

5. 1 (124gm) ball of mozzarella cheese & either 1 more ball or mozzarella or your choice of cheese for top, and final, layer.

Optional:

6. 1 onion, finely chopped if using minced beef without added onion - optional remember! If you're not a fan of onions just skip it altogether, it's the gorgeous beefy flavour that makes this bake amazing.

7. Two handfuls of chopped mushrooms - again, keep a bag of frozen mushrooms in the freezer for quickness :)

Directions:

1.  Place minced beef into your pan and onto the cooker on a medium heat. If adding onions & mushrooms add these too. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

2. Add your pasta to a pan of boiling salted water and put on the stove to cook.  Stir it occasionally to prevent it "sticking."

3. After 12-15 minutes, mince (and onions & mushrooms if you've added them) will have browned.

4. Add your carton/tin of tomatoes and stir through, allowing to heat.  Then, while still on the stove add your jar of bolognaise sauce.  Again, stir through till properly mixed and warmed through.  By this time it will smell beyond wonderful & will look something like this....

5. Place your now completed bolognaise to one side and strain water from your pot of pasta.

6. Add approximately 2 ladels of your bolognaise sauce to your pasta and stir through so that all of the pasta is coated. Don't add too much, you only want enough to coat your pasta not to soak it.

7. Once your pasta is coated, we can start to assemble our bake.  Take a casserole dish, I use a rectangular lasagne dish, and begin with a layer of your coated pasta as a base. This will be about half of your pasta.

8. Next use approximately half of your beef bolognaise mixture to add a layer of sauce to the pasta.  Doesn't have to be exact, just smooth it out with a spoon to evenly spread the sauce.

9. Scatter your roughly chopped mozzarella cheese across the top to complete your 3rd layer.

10. Repeat layer of coated pasta next, using the last of your pasta. Then add the last of your sauce as a next layer. For my final layer, instead of using another level of mozzarella, although that would be fine too if you prefer, I used a layer of Scottish Cheddar cheese, because we love it :) For your last layer, basically add your favourite cheese :) I've used Red Leicester too which is fabulous. Whichever cheese you use it should by now look like this....

11. Pop your now complete bolognaise bake into the oven, middle shelf, at 160C/320F degrees for around 15 minutes, until the cheese on top has melted and slightly browned. 

12. Serve with a crisp salad if you'd like or it's fabulous on its own :) Enjoy!

Over to you honeys, what are your favourite pasta bakes? I'd love some ideas to try. I'm always looking for new ways to cook favourite dishes.  Thank you so much for visiting, do say hello in the comments section below, I promise I'll reply.  Have a fabulous day, sending hugs xx