Easy Beef Pasta Bake

How to Make Easy Beef Pasta Bake Recipe - preparation 5 minutes cooking time 45 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
225g/8oz mushrooms, sliced
450g/1lb/2 cups minced (ground) beef
2 x 400g/14oz cans tomatoes
1 tsp fresh thyme
450g/1lb penne pasta
1 x 300g/11oz jar cheese sauce
75g/3oz/¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
salt and ground black pepper

Method:
1 Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes, stirring. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until it browns. Add the tomatoes and thyme, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2 Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of lightly salted boiling water according to the pack instructions.

3 Drain, return to the pan and stir in the cheese sauce. Heat through for 3–4 minutes.

4 Preheat the grill (broiler). Put alternate layers of mince and pasta into a heatproof dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

5 Cook under the hot grill until bubbling and golden brown. Serve immediately with salad.