Pasta Al
FornoThis is a hearty meal that needs no accompaniment other than maybe some nice crusty bread! My sons and their friends ask me for this once a week at least. I will assume that anyone reading this will have a basic grasps of cookery, however, if you need clarification or indeed if you have any comments, please comment below and I will respond asap.
Cook up about a pound or so (approx 500g) of minced beef (or quorn if you prefer) until nicely browned. I do not find it necessary to add any fat at this stage as the meat can cook in it's own juices, but the choice is yours.
Once browned, add a tin of chopped tomatoes, two desert spoons of tomato puree, half a teaspoon of mixed herbs, salt, pepper, a couple of red oxo cubes and a couple of green oxo cubes. Cook for a further five minutes or so, stirring to ensure the flavours mix. Leave to keep warm on a very low heat.
Cook up a large saucepan of pasta (any shape and size will do) in slightly salted water. A small dollop of butter in the pan will add to the flavour and help to avoid the pasta sticking.
While the pasta is cooking, make up about a pint and a half (approx a litre) of cheese sauce. You can make your own, or for speed you can heat up a bottle of Dolmio's white sauce for Lasagna on a low heat and add grated cheese to your taste. Cook slowly, stirring all the while until all the cheese melts and the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Now take a large (you may need two) baking dish with deep sides. (A large casserole dish will do if you prefer.)
Firstly, spoon the mince mixture into the dish. This forms the bottom layer. On top of that pour a large can of black eye beans (drained and washed first), followed by a layer of sliced mushrooms and a layer of sliced mixed red, yellow and green peppers. Lastly place the cooked, rinsed pasta on the top and level out.
The final stage is to pour on the cheese sauce, very carefully over the whole of the dish to completely cover. You can top with a little grated cheese if you like and then place in the oven on about 200-210c about 5-6 gas and bake for approximately half an hour or so until the top is slightly browned.
This meal is delicious for cold evenings and can be re-heated in the microwave successfully the following day.
Give it a go, I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine do.
Tip: My sons are fussy and don't like all the ingredients I do, so I usually prepare this in three separate dishes and leave out what they don't like in theirs. Warning: This will make a very large meal, so if you are cooking for one or two, reduce the quantities by half. This meal can safely be frozen; defrost thoroughly though before re-heating.
