This cheesy Bolognese pasta bake with a rich minced beef tomato sauce and tender pasta topped with bubbling melted cheese is pure comfort food, and is sure to become your new go-to midweek dinner.
The rich Bolognese sauce is flavoured with wine, garlic and herbs, and when combined and baked with the al dente pasta, the pasta absorbs on that delicious rich meat sauce flavour! Topped with mozzarella cheese and baked until the cheese is bubbling and golden, this easy beef mince recipe is always popular with the kids as well as the adults! If you enjoy beef mince pasta bakes, then this Greek Pastitsio recipe is rich and comforting, and loved by kids!
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Ingredient notes and substitutions
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient quantities.
- Red wine – use a medium bodied red wine, or for a lighter flavour you can use white wine. If you don’t want to use wine, use extra beef stock / broth or water.
- Beef stock – or use vegetable stock or chicken stock, both of which will create a slightly less rich bolognese.
- Crushed tomatoes – or use tomato puree / tomato passata.
- Worcestershire sauce – this adds an extra flavour to the sauce. You can leave it out if you prefer.
- Dried pasta – I have used penne here, but use your favourite dried pasta such as rigatoni, macaroni, ziti or fusilli.
- Mozzarella cheese – or use Gouda, Emmental, or a combination.
How to make this pasta bake recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the end of the post for the full recipe.
- Cook the vegetables: Fry the onion, carrot and celery over a medium heat until soft.
- Brown the beef: Turn the heat up and add the minced beef. Cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned.
- Add the remainder of the bolognese ingredients: Stir in the tomato paste then add the wine and simmer until evaporated. Add the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, herbs, and season.
- Simmer: Bring the bolognese to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer gently until thickened.
- Mix cooked pasta with bolognese sauce: Cook the pasta in salted water according to packet directions less one minute. Drain, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water. Mix the cooked pasta with the Bolognese sauce and half of the saved pasta water.
- Bake: Place the bolognese pasta into an oven proof dish and sprinkle over the grated mozzarella. Cover with a piece of lightly greased oil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven until the mozzarella is golden and bubbling.
FAQ
What’s the difference between meat sauce and bolognese?
Bolognese is technically a meat sauce, however it is much thicker than American meat sauce, and also sometimes contains milk.
Why cover the pasta when baking in the oven?
Covering the pasta bake with foil will stop it from drying out in the oven.
How do I make sure my pasta bake isn’t dry?
Choose a deep dish to cook the pasta bake in and cover it with foil for the first 20-25 minutes of cooking.
My recipe tips
- Salt the pasta water, to season the pasta from the inside out.
- Cooking the pasta for less time than the packet instructions ensures it doesn’t become overcooked and mushy once baked in the oven.
- Pasta water – adding this to the pasta Bolognese before baking helps thicken the sauce as well as helping the sauce stick to the pasta, creating a delicious saucy baked bolognese!
- Cook the Bolognese sauce in a deep pan / pot – if you need to cook it in a shallow skillet or pan, cover with a lid when the sauce is simmering to prevent it from becoming dry.
Serving Ideas
This pasta bake is delicious on it’s own, with a side of steamed broccoli or rocket salad. For extra hungry tummys, serve with garlic bread.
Variations
- Vegetables – add extra veggies like a finely chopped red or green bell pepper, mushrooms or spinach.
- Meat – you can use turkey mince instead, or a mixture of pork and beef mince.
- Red pepper flakes – add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a kick.
Why not try…
You may also like these other family friendly pasta bake recipes:
Bolognese Pasta Bake
Author: Robyn
This cheesy bolognese pasta bake is made with minced beef in a rich bolognese sauce, with tender pasta and gooey cheese. It's a comforting dinner kids love!
Equipment
- 1 large pan for boiling the pasta
- 1 large pan for cooking the bolognese sauce
- oven proof baking dish or casserole dish approx. 25 cm x 25 cm / 10 inches x 10 inches
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 stick celery finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 450g 1 lb minced beef
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree tomato paste
- 120 ml ½ c red wine or add more stock or water
- 240 ml 1 c beef stock
- 800 g 28oz tinned crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano or dried thyme
- salt
- black pepper
Pasta Bake:
- 450 g 1 lb dried penne pasta or ziti
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 200 g 2c mozzarella cheese grated
- 240 ml 1 c pasta cooking water
Instructions
Make the bolognese sauce:
- In a large pan or deep skillet fry the diced onion in the oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the diced carrot and celery and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Turn the heat up and add the minced beef, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks.
- Once the beef is browned, stir in the tomato puree / paste, then add the wine and simmer for 2 minutes until evaporated and the alcohol smell has disappeared.
- Add the beef stock / broth, crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, dried oregano and season with salt and black pepper.
- Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer with the lid off for 30 minutes until thickened.
Prepare the pasta bake:
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan / 200˚C / 350˚F
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to packet directions, MINUS one minute. Drain, reserving a cup / 240ml of the pasta cooking water.
- Mix the cooked pasta with the Bolognese sauce, and half of the saved pasta water. If the mixture seems dry add a little more of the pasta water.
- Place into an oven proofdish and sprinkle over the grated mozzarella.
- Spray a piece of foil with a little oil, then cover the pasta with the foil, oil side facing down. (This helps stop the cheese from sticking to the foil).
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 minutes until the mozzarella is golden and bubbling.
- Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Fridge: Keep any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: this pasta bake is best assembled and frozen BEFORE baking. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight. If freezing after baking, best to heat in the microwave otherwise it can dry out in the oven.
MEAL PREP / MAKE AHEAD
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- Making ahead – combine the sauce and pasta and store in the refrigerator for up to a day. Allow an extra 5-10 minutes cooking time.
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- Make double the batch of sauce and freeze half for a quick dinner later in the week – simply boil the pasta, assemble and bake!
- Red wine – use a medium bodied red wine, or for a lighter flavour you can use white wine. If you don’t want to use wine, use extra beef stock / broth or water.
- Beef stock – or use vegetable stock or chicken stock, both of which will create a slightly less rich bolognese.
- Crushed tomatoes – or use tomato puree / tomato passata.
- Worcestershire sauce – this adds an extra flavour to the sauce. You can leave it out if you prefer.
- Dried pasta – I have used penne, but you can use your favourite dried pasta such as rigatoni, macaroni, ziti or fusilli.
- Mozzarella cheese – or use Gouda, Emmental, or a combination.
Nutrition
Calories: 692kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 34gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 936mgPotassium: 1001mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2274IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 265mgIron: 5mg
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