Today’s weeknight recipe, Easy Ground Beef Pasta Bake, is very simple that even the most amateur cook can make. It packs a punch of yummy flavours that makes you want to go for so many more servings than you should.
I made my first ever pasta bake at University. It was one of those things that were fast, easy and affordable for my college student lifestyle since then; however, my pasta bake ‘skills’ have grown and is more refined for my grown-up palette!
One of my favourite things about this recipe is how easily you can adapt it to anything else. Don’t like ground beef? You can use chicken, tuna, vegetables, shrimp, anything. Prefer macaroni? You can use that instead of Fusilli. The possibilities are endless with this dish.
Sometimes I use sausages; other times, I add mushrooms or even spinach for a more healthy version. Anything you love can be used, so run wild and have fun with this Easy Ground Beef Pasta Bake.
Easy Ground Beef Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 425 grams fusilli pasta
- 1 pound ground beef (minced beef)
- 1 jar ketchup (tomato sauce Australia and UK)
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 small yellow onion - chopped
- 1 small red onion - chopped
Instructions
- In a big pot, add enough water to boil the pasta. Salt the water and bring it to a boil. Add the pasta and boil for 6 to 7 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta water and set it aside.
- In a pan, add a few splashes of oil. Add the onions and saute until they start to get translucent. Then add the ground beef and stir. Season with one seasoning cube, salt, pepper and curry(optional). Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the meat has been properly cooked. Place the cooked ground beef into the pasta pot.
- In the same pan, add more oil and allow it to get hot. Then add the tomato sauce and stir. Season with seasoning cube, salt, pepper, onion powder, curry, and thyme. Cook until the oil comes to the top but not all dry because you need as much of that tomato sauce as possible.
- Pour the tomato sauce into the pot that has the pasta and ground beef and stir until properly combined. Add had the cup of cheese and mix well.
- Heat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour the mixture into an 11×8 casserole dish and spread until even layered. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese to cover the entire pasta. Bake in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is fully melted.
- Serve while hot.