Bored of the same old spaghetti bolognese? Try this easy, cheesy Bolognese Pasta Bake instead. Think of it like a no fuss lasagne – rich beef bolognese tossed with pasta and plenty of cheese before being baked to bubbling perfection. A great make ahead dinner, this one is a real crowd pleaser.
Beef Mince Ragu
Beef mince is a staple ingredient for many households. Budget friendly, one pack can be easily stretched over a few different meals or to feed a crowd. But ground beef can get really boring, especially if your default mince recipe is spaghetti bolognese. As much as I love the classic spag bol, I don’t want it every week.
This pasta bake with beef mince is a great way to add a bit of variety to your meal plan. I like to think of it also as a ‘cheats lasagne’ as it is a similar baked pasta with ragu sauce, but requires less time and effort to prepare.
I use my regular beef bolognese sauce recipe for this pasta bake, but if you have a preferred bolognese or ragu recipe do feel free to use that. You could also try this recipe with a turkey mince bolognese.
If you want some more ideas for recipes using beef mince then try my Cottage Pie with Clapshot or Beef and Black Bean Tacos.
Ingredient Notes
- Mince – I use ground beef mince but you can also use ground lamb, turkey or pork mince or a mixture.
- Pasta – Shells are my favourite as they hold lots of the sauce, but most short shapes work well.
- Tinned/Canned Tomatoes – You could substitute passata or canned tomato sauce.
- Soffritto – diced carrots, onion and celery make an aromatic flavour base for the bolognese sauce. I use this handy mini chopper to get my soffritto very fine, but you can also chop by hand.
- Beef Stock Cube and Tomato Paste/Puree – for additional flavour. Or use prepared beef stock – about 1 cup (and skip filling the tomato cans with water and adding that.)
- Garlic, basil and oregano – I use fresh garlic and dried herbs, but you can use fresh herbs and/or dried garlic or garlic puree if you prefer. In general you can substitute 1 tsp dried to 1 tbsp fresh.
- Peas – optional. I love adding peas for an additional serving of vegetables, but you can omit. I use frozen peas – they are a freezer staple for me.
- Cheese – Ricotta stirred through the bolognese sauce for some extra creaminess and mozzarella and cheddar to top off the pasta bake.
Variations and Substitutions
–Use a vegetarian bolognese sauce for a vegetarian pasta bake. Try my Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese or Slow Cooked Aubergine Ragu.
–Try a different ragu sauce. I have a few different recipes which would be great for this pasta bake. Why not try my Beef and Mushroom Ragu, Sausage Ragu or Beef Shin Ragu. Or use your households’ favourite recipe if you have one.
–Swap out the peas – try sweetcorn, sliced mushrooms or diced bell pepper instead.
–Add extra vegetables – either add additional chopped vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers or mushrooms to the sauce or stir into the pasta bake with the ricotta.
–Instead of Ricotta cheese you can try mascarpone for a more decadent dish. You can switch up the cheese topping too – try cheddar, gruyere or a mixture.
–Add some spice – if you enjoy food with a bit of a kick, you can add some diced chilli or red pepper flakes when you cook off the onion, carrot and celery.
Serving and Storing
I love to serve baked bolognese with cheesy garlic bread and a side salad.
Bolognese Pasta bake can be assembled in advance and baked later to serve. You can also freeze the assembled bake – defrost then bake as per recipe instructions. (It may need an additional 5-10 minutes if it is very cold when going into the oven.) Or why not make 2 smaller pasta bakes – one to cook and one to freeze for another day.
You can also make the bolognese sauce in advance and store in the fridge for up to 3 days (or the freezer for 3 months). Defrost fully before combining with the ricotta, peas and pasta to bake.
Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. I use these foil trays to portion out leftover pasta bake to freeze for later. I love that I can put them straight in the oven without having to transfer to another dish, and they are the perfect size for one portion.
The best way to reheat pasta bake is in the oven. Place in an ovenproof bowl or dish and add a splash of water (about a tablespoon per portion) and cover with foil. Reheat in a hot oven (about 180c) for 15-20 minutes or until piping hot. The water creates steam which helps stop the pasta and sauce from drying out in the oven. I like to take the foil off for the final 5 minutes of cooking (and add extra grated cheese).
More Pasta Bake Recipes:
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Bolognese Pasta Bake
Equipment
- Food Processor optional
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Large baking dish
Ingredients
- 500 grams lean beef mince (ground beef)* - (1lb)
- 500 grams pasta shells - (1lb)
- 2×400 grams tinned tomatoes - (2x 14oz cans or one 28oz can)
- 1 beef stock cube - or 2tsp beef bouillon or 1 cup beef stock
- 3 medium carrots
- 3 ribs celery
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste/puree
- ¾ tsp salt
- 75 grams cheddar cheese
- 125 grams mozzarella
- 250 grams ricotta cheese
- 150 grams peas - (optional, about 1 cup)
Instructions
- First, prepare the bolognese. This can be done in advance – up to 3 days before if storing in the fridge.
- Finely dice the carrot, celery, onion and garlic – I use a food processor to save time.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil. When hot, add the diced carrot, onion, garlic, celery and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until starting to soften, but stir often and don't let it burn.
- Add in the mince. Cook until it has browned all over, using a spoon or spatula to break it up as you go.
- Add the tomato puree and herbs and crumble in the stock cube. Stir in the tomatoes then fill each tin ⅔ with water, swirl to make sure you collect all the leftover tomato, and pour into the pot. (should be about 1 cup of water. Skip this step if using prepared beef stock instead of a stock cube.)
- Stir well and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium and allow to simmer without the lid for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if you feel the sauce is too thick.
- While the bolognese is cooking, preheat the oven to 180c/350F.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water about 2 minutes less than packaging instructions – it should still have a good 'bite'. Drain, reserving a 1/2 cup of cooking water.
- Add the peas, pasta and pasta cooking water to the bolognese sauce and stir well. Stir through the ricotta cheese until it has melted and blended into the bolognese sauce.
- Pour into a large baking dish. Top with torn mozzarella plus grated cheddar.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Notes
Nutrition
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