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bolognese pasta bake in a casserole dish
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5 from 1 vote

Bolognese Pasta Bake

This bolognese pasta bake is a perfect weeknight, family dinner that will please everybody. Total comfort food, what can be better than baked pasta coated with a creamy and hearty Italian meat sauce?
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Pasta and Rice
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Calories: 806kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 500 g/ 1.1 lbs ground meat See note 1
  • 125 ml/ ½ cup milk
  • 1 jar tomato puree pasatta 700-800 g/ 24 oz
  • 4 whole basil leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 200 g/ 7 oz/ scant ¾ cup low-fat Greek yogurt
  • 150 ml/ 5 fl.oz/ ⅔ cup hot stock See note 2
  • 500 g/ 1.1 lb pasta of choice like penne, macaroni, farfalle, etc
  • 170 g/ 6 oz/ 1 ¾ cups grated cheese divided (See note 3)
  • fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Meat sauce:

  • Heat the oil in a large skillet. Fry the finely chopped onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the ground meat and break the lumps with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat high, add the milk and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Add the tomato puree. Add about 125 ml/ ½ cup water to the jar of passata, shake to clean the passata from the walls of the jar, and pour the water into the pot.
  • Add the whole basil leaves, minced garlic, tomato paste, and some salt and pepper.
  • Bring the sauce to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, cover with a lid leaving a crack open and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the lid and continue simmering for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.

Yogurt sauce:

  • In the meantime mix together the yogurt and the hot stock.
  • Add 70 g/ 2.5 oz/ ¾ cup of the grated cheese to the yogurt mixture and stir well.

Pasta bake:

  • Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cook the pasta in salted water according to the packet's instructions. Drain. Place the pasta in a suitable baking dish.
  • Add the yogurt sauce to the meat sauce and stir well.
  • Pour the sauce over the pasta in the baking dish and stir well.
  • Top the bolognese bake with the remaining grated cheese.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

Video

Notes

  1. I used half beef and half pork. You can only use beef or try a lighter version with ground turkey.
  2. Made from a ½ vegetable stock cube dissolved in 150 ml/ 5 fl. oz/ ⅔ cup hot water.
  3. I used Gouda, but Cheddar is just as fine. Or any other kind of cheese you usually take for pasta bakes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the dish | Calories: 806kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 709mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g