Bolognese Pasta Bake

5 from 1 vote

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

Cook Time30

Total Time1 15

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 806kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion
1 lb ground meat 450 g, Note 1
½ cup milk 125 ml
1 jar passata di pomodoro 700-800 g/ 24 oz
4 whole basil leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¾ cup Greek yogurt 200 g
⅔ cup hot stock 150 ml, Note 2
1 lb pasta of choice like penne, macaroni, farfalle, etc, 450 g
1¾ cup cheese grated, divided, 170 g, Note 3
fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Meat sauce:

Saute onion: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Fry the finely chopped onion until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 onion
Brown ground meat: 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 evaporates.
1 lb ground meat/ 450 g + ½ cup milk/ 125 ml
Add the tomato pasatta. Fill about ½ cup/ 125 ml water into the empty 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.
1 jar passata di pomodoro + 4 whole basil leaves + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Simmer bolognese sauce: 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 the yogurt and the hot stock in a bowl. Add ¾ cup/ 70 g of the grated cheese to the yogurt mixture and stir well.
¾ cup Greek yogurt / 200 g + ⅔ cup hot stock/ 150 ml + some of 1¾ cup cheese

Pasta bake:

Preheat the oven to 400°F/ 200°C.
Cook the pasta in salted water according to the packet's instructions. Drain. Place the pasta in the baking dish.
1 lb pasta of choice/ 450 g
Assemble pasta bake: 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.

Notes

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

Nutrition