Twisty Bolognese Pasta Bake Recipes

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add oil to large skillet over high heat. Add ground beef and saute, breaking up the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Add garlic, oregano and chili flakes and cook a couple minutes. Add tomatoes and season, to taste, with sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• For the bechamel:
• In a large saucepan melt butter over medium-high heat until bubbling. Add onions and saute until translucent. Sprinkle with flour, stirring constantly and cook until the mixture begins to thicken. Gradually whisk in the wine, if using, and then gradually whisk in the milk and nutmeg and cook until smooth, thick and creamy. Combine the meat sauce and pasta, and then pour in half the pasta mixture. Spoon half the bechamel over the pasta and top with half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake 30 to 45 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Steps:

• To make the bolognese, heat the oil in a wide ovenproof pan over a medium heat. Fry the onion, celery and carrot with some seasoning for 20 mins until soft and lightly golden. Tip in the beef mince, turn up the heat and fry, stirring regularly, for another 10 mins until the mince browns. Add the garlic, fry for a minute, then pour in the wine and bubble for a few mins more, scraping the pan to release any bits. Stir through the purée, bay leaves and tomatoes, with a canful of water. Simmer for 1½ hrs, covered for the first hour, then remove the lid and bubble until the tomatoes have broken down. Season with salt, pepper, the sugar and balsamic vinegar.
• Tip the pasta shells into a large heatproof bowl with a pinch of salt, and pour over a kettle of boiled water. Cover and leave to soften for 15-20 mins - they need to retain some firmness so you can fill them.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 4 and drain the pasta. Use a fork to mash the mascarpone with the mozzarella, chopped basil, garlic and some black pepper in a bowl.
• The bolognese should be a little wetter than you'd like as the pasta shells will absorb some of the liquid as it bakes. Remove from the heat, giving it a final stir. Using a teaspoon, fill the pasta shells with some of the mascarpone mixture, pressing the mix in with your index finger. Nestle the shells into the sauce, filled-side up. Bake for 20-30 mins until the top is golden and bubbling, and the pasta is tender. Grate over some parmesan and finish with a few basil leaves.

Steps:

• Cook the spiral pasta until tender.
• Cook lean beef mince in a frying pan until browned and spoon onto pasta.
• Empty jar of Pasta Bake (I use Leggo's) over mince and mix all together.
• Sprinkle with cheeses and back in a preheated oven on 190 degrees C for 20 minutes.
• Variation: add grated carrot and zucchini, or baby spinach and pine nuts.

Steps:

• In a frying pan, fry beef in 1 tbsp of olive oil until brown and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• In a deep saucepan, heat oil and fry onions, peppers, garlic and herbs until onions are lightly colored.
• Preheat oven at 400°F.
• Stir in canned tomatoes and tomato puree, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer in low heat for 5 minutes.
• Add grated parmesan cheese and ground beef and simmer for 2 more minutes.
• In an oven-safe glass dish, layer pasta and bolognese beef. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.
• Take out of the oven, and let it stand for 5 minutes. Buon Appetito!