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Baked pasta with minced meat and cheese, Baked pasta

Baked Pasta with minced meat and cheese

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This baked pasta with minced meat and cheese is a creamy, cheesy comfort food, made with penne, rich tomato-meat sauce, and a golden cheese topping. Perfect for weeknight dinners, it’s a hearty dish the whole family will love.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 5
Author sumisculinarynotes

Ingredients

  • 300 g pasta penne rigate
  • 7-10 cherry tomatoes
  • 150-250 g cheese of your choice I used a combination of cheddar and mozzarella, mixed Jalapeno and chilli

Meat sauce

  • 1-2 tbsps butter or oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic
  • 500 g minced meat meat of your choice
  • 1 tbsp tomatpuree
  • 400 g crushed tomatoes
  • 1 red capsicum
  • 200 g fresh cream/creme fraiche
  • 2 tsps paprika powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Chilli flakes optional

Instructions

Cook the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Add the penne rigate and cook until al dente (a couple of minutes less than package instructions, since it will bake later).
  • Drain and set aside.

Prepare the meat sauce

  • Heat 1–2 tbsp butter or oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
  • Add the chopped yellow onion and sauté until softened.
  • Add the minced meat and cook until browned.
  • Stir in 1 tbsp tomato purée and cook for a minute to deepen the flavor.
  • Add crushed tomatoes and the diced red capsicum.
  • Season with paprika powder, salt and pepper
  • Let the sauce simmer on low for about 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.
  • Stir in the fresh cream or crème fraîche.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Combine pasta and sauce

  • Mix the cooked pasta with the meat sauce until well coated.

Assemble and bake

  • Preheat oven to 200°C.
  • Lightly grease a baking dish. Pour in the pasta and sauce mixture.
  • Top with halved cherry tomatoes.
  • Sprinkle generously with the cheese of your choice.
  • Sprinkle chilli flakes on the top for extra heat. However, this step is optional.
  • Note: I used mixed cheese with jalapenos and chilli, so I skipped the above step.
  • Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly.
  • Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  • Enjoy warm with a side salad or garlic bread!