I’ve had many (many!) requests for the recipe for pasta bake that I posted on my Instagram feed. Not only was it a great photo but a very tasty meal. I managed to hide more veggies than usual without the kids screaming ‘What is that green thing?!!’

Here’s the recipe – I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients

• Cooked pasta (I cooked enough for four people)
• 500g mince
• 2 cooked carrots, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup of spinach, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 1 cup of olives
• 1/2 cup of mushrooms, grated
• 1 cup of grated cheese
• 1 jar of creamy tomato pasta bake sauce

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees (fan forced)
2. Cook pasta as per packet instructions. When cooked, drain and leave aside
3. Brown mince in 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
4. Add all vegetables (except olives) and cook for 3-5 minutes
5. Add the pasta and mince/vegetable mix together then the olives, cheese and pasta bake sauce
6. Stir until well combined then pour into an oven proof tray
7. Sprinkle with more grated cheese and bake until the cheese had melted (about 5 minutes)

Notes:

• If serving this dish to toddlers or small children be sure to chop the olives
• Serve with a side salad for lunch
• This dish makes for great leftovers and lunches
• Add different cheeses and herbs for further flavour eg Feta, Mozzarella , Basil etc