Fridge Friend Recipes
Mince and Tomato Pasta Bake with Cheesy Milk Sauce recipe
A hearty, family-style pasta bake with savoury mince, sweet tomatoes and a creamy cheese sauce. It’s comforting, rich and baked until bubbling and golden on top.
70 min · Medium · Italian-inspired Jump to method
Ingredients
- 500g Mince
- 300g Pasta
- 400g Tomatoes
- 1 Yellow Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 150g Cheese
- 400ml Milk
- 25g Butter
- 25g Plain flour
- 1 tsp Dried mixed herbs
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
| Nutrition | Per servingEstimated |
|---|---|
| Calories | 807 kcal |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated fat | 21 g |
| Fibre | 4.5 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Sodium | 700 mg |
Why this works
A hearty, protein-rich pasta bake that is energy-dense and fairly high in saturated fat and salt.
High in protein. The mince, cheese and milk provide a substantial protein hit, supporting satiety and muscle maintenance.
Calcium source. Cheese and milk contribute useful calcium, which supports bone health.
Salt and saturated fat caution. The added salt, cheese, butter and likely fat content of the mince push sodium and saturated fat fairly high.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (Fan 180°C, 392°F, Gas Mark 6).
Give the oven a full preheat so the dish goes in at a steady heat, not a half-warm oven that can leave the top pale and the centre underheated.
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water until just al dente, then drain and set aside.
Drain the pasta while it still has a slight bite in the centre, as it will soften further in the oven and can turn mushy if fully cooked now.
- Meanwhile, heat a little oil in a large frying pan and cook the chopped yellow onion for 5 minutes until softened.
Keep the onion over a medium heat and stir often so it turns translucent without catching; if it browns, the sauce will pick up a bitter edge.
- Add the garlic and mince, breaking the mince up with a spoon, and cook until browned all over.
Cook the mince in an even layer at first, then break it up more finely once it starts to colour so it browns rather than steams in its own juices.
- Stir in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Let the tomatoes bubble gently rather than fiercely, reducing until the sauce looks glossy and no longer watery at the edges; avoid heavy boiling, which can make the mince dry.
- In a separate pan, warm the milk and whisk in the plain flour and butter if using until smooth, then stir in most of the cheese to make a simple cheese sauce.
Whisk the flour in gradually and keep the sauce over a low heat so it thickens smoothly without lumps; if it starts to look grainy, lower the heat and keep whisking.
- Combine the pasta with the mince and tomato sauce, then mix through the cheese sauce.
Fold everything together while the sauce is still warm so it coats the pasta evenly, but do not overmix or you may break the pasta shapes.
- Tip into a baking dish, scatter over the remaining cheese, and bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Bake until the cheese on top is spotted with deep golden patches and the sauce is visibly bubbling at the sides, not just warm in the middle.
- Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Resting lets the sauce settle and thicken slightly, so slice or spoon it only after the surface stops moving and the bake holds its shape.
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