Pork mince & pasta bake

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Recipe sent in by Sam

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 ratings Rate this recipe

A tasty variation on lasagne, using pork mince and pasta shapes...

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Serves 6
Difficulty Level Easy

Preparation

Print this recipe

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Preparation Time 20 mins
Cooking Time 55 mins

Ingredients
Method

For the mince

250g minced pork
800g chopped tomatoes (2x tins)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar (optional)
½ courgette (skin on), chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 onions (medium), chopped
garlic (2x cloves), chopped
pepper (to taste)
250g macaroni (or pasta shapes)

For the cheese sauce

40g flour
40g butter (or margarine)
400ml milk (full fat)
100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated
½ tsp mustard

For the mince

Fry the onions and garlic gently in 1 tsp sunflower oil until soft
Add the mince and fry gently until cooked through
Add the tinned tomatoes, herbs, puree, Worcester sauce, sugar, pepper and chopped vegetables and simmer gently for 20 minutes

For the cheese sauce

Melt the butter or margerine, stir in the flour and cook on a gentle heat for 2 minutes
Gradually add the milk and stir until thickened
Add the grated cheese handful by handful to taste, along with the mustard
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni for 3-5 minutes in boiling water until undercooked - drain and leave aside
Place the mince into a baking dish, put the macaroni on top and pour with the cheese sauce, top with more grated cheese if wished
Bake in the oven at 190'C/Gas mark 5 for 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbling and the pasta is soft

You will need

Frying pan - Safely non-stick and anti-scratch, this frying pan is suitable for every hob – see more details here at Amazon.

Oven dish - This simple, ceramic Mason Cash baking and serving dish – see more details here at Amazon.

Sieve – a must for making sure the flour is lump free – see more details here at Wilko.

Tips

Pasta bakes are the perfect meal to cook if you're looking for something easy to make that's tasty and filling. All you have to do is prepare the ingredients then bung them in the oven until cooked.

This recipe is one of the best ways to use pork mince. For a quicker and easier pork mince pasta dish, you can always just make the pork mince pasta sauce according to the instructions and serve straight away with cooked pasta and a sprinkling of cheese on top.

This pork mince pasta sauce works brilliantly with any kind of pasta, from spaghetti to penne - we particularly like it with fusilli pasta twirls.

Variations

Use lamb, beef, turkey, quorn or soya mince if preferred
Reduce fat by adding more vegetables/tinned pulses and less mince
Use skimmed milk and half fat cheese for the sauce

This pork mince sauce is so versatile! Make a big batch and freeze, and you can serve it in so many pork mince recipes. For example, try it with different sorts of pasta; add some chilli powder and servce with rice; add in some extra veggies and serve with crusy bread; use as a topping for a jacket potato; pour over tortilla chips for a nacho-style dish... When it comes to pork mince, the options are endless!

We have lots more pasta bake recipes for you to try. Have a go at one of these dishes, ranging from creamy chicken to vegan options:

Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5 ratings Rate this recipe

Treasa E

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5

I made this about a month ago and it went down really well. It definitely serves 6, there are only three of us but it was just as good when kept in the fridge and reheated. I used a chopped pepper and two grated Carrots instead of courgette and celery as I didn't have any. I'm cooking this again tonight my way ... we're all looking forward to it :)

on 18/2/20
Guest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5

Thank goodness for pasta - this is hearty, tasty meal for all the family.

on 15/10/15
Guest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5

I made this using a jar of ready made bolognaise sauce, it's a lovely spin on spag bol or lasagne. Very yummy and the kids enjoyed it. Will definitely make this again.

on 5/3/15
Guest

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 5

I skipped the celery and added some carrots - delish for a quick meal on a cold evening!

on 21/1/15
Guest

Recipe is great but we didn't freeze it. The last time I froze a pasta bake it turned into a mushy mess after defrosting and reheating! Beware.

on 9/8/11
Guest

Made this today and found the mince part to be quite 'watery' when served up and eventhough I'd chopped up the celery finely it was definitely crunchy which put my children (and husband) off. Might be worth frying celery up with onion at the start?

on 8/9/10
Guest

Delicious!! I used 500g mince and it made loads!! Wouldnt fit into my usual dish that I make things like this in, I had to dig out my massive casserole dish to put it in!!

on 15/2/10
Guest

Made a batch of this for the first time yesterday to freeze for my 20 month old daughter - she's had the first portion today for lunch and has gobbled it up!! Lovely!

on 1/2/10
Guest

I am quite new to this site but thought the recipes looked amazing and easy. This is my 1st one off the site and it was delicious. I cooked it for myself my husband and my 2 boys aged 2 and 5. My youngest is quite a fussy eater but he loved it and ate it all. They didnt even notice the celery as I sliced it thinly. We will definately be doing this meal again. We even managed to freeze 2 portions from it although I did add slightly more pasta than the recipe suggested.

on 30/1/10
Guest

I just made this recipe and it was delicious. Tasted much better than it looked when cooking! I doubled the recipe and there is enough to freeze. Will feed my husband and I and our 3 year old for 3-4 meals. Very cheap and healthy. I didn't have any courgette or celery so I added carrots and some sweetcorn.

on 20/1/10