Easy Mince Beef Pasta Bake Recipe With a Tomato Sauce
Table of Contents
Beef Mince Ideas For Dinner
Beef mince is a versatile ingredient perfect for baby-led weaning dinners. One classic option is spaghetti bolognese, where finely chopped vegetables blend with the mince and pasta for a flavourful meal.
Alternatively, cannelloni bolognese adds a twist, with the lashings of meat sauce stuffed into lasagne pasta sheets, providing a fun texture for little hands.
For a bite-sized treat, spinach and ricotta mini meatloaf offers a nutritious balance, combining greens with beef for added goodness.
Lastly, cottage pie, featuring a layer of savoury beef topped and lentils with creamy mashed potatoes, can be easily portioned for little ones exploring new flavours and textures.
Together, these dishes provide various options to keep mealtime exciting while ensuring your baby enjoys wholesome, homemade meals.
Mince Pasta Bake Recipe
Mince beef pasta bake is a delicious recipe for baby-led weaning as it combines simple, nutritious ingredients that are easy for little hands to grasp and chew. A great recipe for busy weeknights, a great kind of comfort food for mid week.
The tender pasta, paired with seasoned minced beef and a rich tomato sauce, offers a balance of proteins and carbohydrates, making it a wholesome meal for developing appetites.
This dish is also a hit with the whole family, as it can be prepared in advance and baked to perfection, saving precious time during busy midweek evenings.
With its yummy texture and delicious flavours, it ensures that everyone, from the littlest eaters to adults, can enjoy a comforting meal together.
Brown Pasta vs White Pasta
Brown pasta and white pasta both offer unique benefits for babies during baby-led weaning. Brown pasta, made from whole grain flour, is higher in fibre, which can aid digestion and help prevent constipation, making it a nutritious choice for little ones. It also retains more of its natural nutrients, including B vitamins and iron, essential for growing infants.
On the other hand, white pasta is often softer and easier for babies to chew and swallow, providing a smoother introduction to solid foods.
While it may have fewer nutrients than its whole grain counterpart, it can be enriched with additional vitamins and minerals, making it a convenient option.
Both types can be easily incorporated into various dishes, allowing for a balanced approach to a baby’s diet.
Ingredient information
Olive oil - I have used olive oil but you could use avocado oil or even coconut oil if you like. Unsalted butter would work nicely to for added flavour.
Onion - I have used a red onion, but you can use any onion you may have. Shallots would work well too in the recipe.
Mince - I have used beef mince, but you can use turkey or chicken mince for this recipe too if you prefer, to mix things up each week.
Courgette - I have used a grated courgette in this recipe to add in another veggie. If you did not have courgette you can use grated carrot instead.
Stock cube - I have used a zero salt beef stock cube for this recipe. You could use a little beef bone broth too if you prefer.
Garlic granules - I have used garlic granules for convenience for this recipe. You can of course use fresh garlic cloves or garlic puree or garlic powder if you like.
Mixed herbs - This is a great herb to have in the cupboard. You could leave this out and just use the oregano or Italian seasoning if you do not have it.
Oregano - This is another great herb to have in the store cupboard. You could leave this out and just use mixed herbs or Italian herbs instead if you prefer.
Paprika - Paprika is a great spice to have to use within tomato based recipes. Adds so much flavour and depth.
Passata - I love to use passata within bolognaise style recipes as it is so smooth. You could use tinned chopped tomatoes if you like. You will probably need 1 tin with a little extra liquid.
Tomato Puree - Using tomato puree or tomato paste within tomato based sauces adds such a depth of flavour to the recipe that is being made.
Basil - I have used a little fresh basil for added flavour and freshness to the recipe. Feel free to leave this out if you did not have it.
Pasta - I have used penne pasta but you can use your pasta of choice. Rigatoni pasta or pasta shells are great ones to use.
Parsley - This is an optional ingredient that can be left out. It does finish off the dish nicely.
Ricotta - I have added a little ricotta cheese to the top of the finished pasta bake. This adds extra creaminess to the recipe which is so tasty. You can leave this step out if you want.
Mozzarella - I have added mozzarella cheese to the top of the pasta bake recipe. You can use grated cheese such as cheddar cheese or a combination of the two if you prefer.
Serving suggestion
The pasta bake would be great served with cucumber or broccoli. You could make some garlic bread to serve alongside the pasta bake.
The pasta can of course be served on its own as a complete meal option too.
Other pasta recipes you may like: One pot pasta bake, Pea puree pasta or Pasta salad.
Storage instructions
The pasta sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container, or you could use a container with plastic wrap to cover the pasta.
If you wanted to freeze the pasta, you will need to store in an airtight container.
Make sure the pasta has cooled to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container to the freezer.
To defrost the pasta leave in the fridge overnight, and make sure it has fully defrosted.
To reheat the pasta, transfer to a preheated oven on 180C or 350F and reheat on a medium-high heat.
Once the pasta has been defrosted and reheated you will not be able to re-freeze.
Equipment used to help with this recipe
Saucepan - So many pan sets out there but I particularly like to use pans with a non-stick surface for ease of cleaning and ones that are suitable for different types of hob surface.
Airtight container - I much prefer the click-shut lids on these containers compared to others. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free, so very suitable for food use.
Recipe | Easy Mince Beef Pasta Bake Recipe With a Tomato Sauce
Easy Mince Beef Pasta Bake Recipe With a Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C or 350F.
- Start by pouring the olive oil into a large pan that is a suitable baking dish for the oven ideally. Add in the onion, courgette and black pepper and cook on a medium heat covered for 10 minutes or so, checking that the onions do not stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Cook your pasta as per packet instructions too at this point too.
- Next add in the beef, garlic granules, mixed herbs, oregano and paprika. Break up the mince and cook for a further 10 minutes until the beef has browned.
- Add in the passata, stock cube and tomato puree and basil if using and stir. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
- Drain the pasta if you have not done so already an reserve 250ml-300ml of the pasta water, approx a cup.
- Pour the cooked pasta over the beef mince and stir carefully. Add in the pasta water and stir again. You may need to transfer to a larger ovenproof dish at this point if your saucepan is not big enough.
- Sprinkle over the mozzarella cheese and place into your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Once cooked sprinkle over the fresh parsley and spoon over the ricotta cheese in small dollops if using.
- Leave to cool before serving yo your baby.
Notes
It is very easy to make this recipe gluten-free, all you will need to do is use a gluten-free penne pasta.
You could make the recipe dairy free by using a vegan cheese to replace the mozzarella and leave out the ricotta cheese completely.
©The Petit Spoon
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