This mouthwatering Bolognese Pasta Bake will impress the whole family - tender pasta coated in a rich, Italian-style Bolognese sauce, all topped with a deliciously golden layer of melted cheese. It's the perfect comfort food for cosy nights in, with every bite bursting with hearty flavours.
And let's be honest, who doesn't love a good Bolognese? This bake takes a classic favourite to the next level. Whether it's for a family dinner or a weekend treat, this dish will have everyone going back for seconds. The combination of pasta, rich sauce, and gooey cheese creates a bake that's impossible to resist.
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Calories in Bolognese Pasta Bake
This Yummy Pasta Bake serves 6 and and is 511 calories per serving
If you're looking for more recipes within the same calorie range, you'll find an abundance of options in my dedicated collection of 500+ calorie recipes.
If you're following a calorie-controlled diet or a healthy eating plan, it's important to calculate your daily calorie intake using a reliable calorie calculator. Please note that the calorie counts provided are estimates and can vary based on specific ingredients and serving sizes. Personalizing your calculations is essential to meet your individual needs. By using a calorie calculator, you can make informed choices and stay on track with your dietary goals.
Make it Vegetarian
If you are vegetarian, swap out the ground beef for a veggie meat substitute or even lentils. I love bolognese using green or brown lentils. Lentils can be purchased for such a low cost too, which would make these meal budget friendly.
I always have various bags of different lentils and beans in my pantry. They can come in really handy, if I do not have any meat defrosted and I need to make something up for dinner.
Have you seen my Lentil Bolognese recipe?
Sides for Bolognese Pasta Bake
When you're diving into a rich, comforting dish like this Bolognese Pasta Bake, the right sides can elevate the meal without stealing the spotlight. Here are some of the best accompaniments to complete your Italian-inspired feast:
- Simple Mixed Salad
Balance out the heartiness of the pasta bake with a light, fresh green salad. A mix of crisp lettuce, cucumber, and tomatoes with a light vinaegrette is perfect. But you can also added in additional salad items like red onion, peppers, carrot, corn and much much more. - Roasted Vegetables
If you're craving something warm, roasted vegetables are a fantastic choice. Spray some courgettes, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil spray, salt, and a pinch of oregano. The roasted sweetness will complement the savoury meat sauce beautifully. - Steamed Greens
Sometimes, simple is best. Steamed tenderstem broccoli, asparagus or any of your favourite greens provides a vibrant and nutritious side that adds just the right amount of freshness to your meal.
Each of these sides brings something different to the table, ensuring your Bolognese Pasta Bake remains the star while offering a well-rounded and satisfying dining experience.
How can I add additional vegetables to this recipe?
The bolognese sauce in this pasta bake comes packed with veggies like carrot, onion, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes.
To balance your plate, I always make up a big bowl of salad which I serve in the middle of the table for everyone to dig into and add some to their plate.
All kinds of salad vegetables are perfect - baby greens, crisp lettuce, cucumber, carrot, peppers, tomatoes, onion.
More Pasta Bakes
Love Pasta bakes? Check out these other amazing recipes:
- Roasted Butternut Squash Zucchini Pasta Bake
- Sloppy Joe Pasta Bake
- Pulled Pork Pasta Bake
- Mexican Pasta Bake
- Chicken, Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta Bake
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake
- Sausage and Bean Pasta Bake
- Salmon and Leek Pasta Bake
- Tuna Pasta Bake
- Chicken Bacon and Tomato Pasta Bake
- Creamy Chicken Mushroom Tomato Pasta Bake
or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more.
All recipes on Slimming Eats have estimated nutritional information for your convenience.
FAQ for Bolognese Pasta Bake
Absolutely! While traditional pasta bakes often use penne or rigatoni, you can experiment with any shape that holds sauce well. Fusilli, farfalle, or even shells are great options as they catch and hold the rich Bolognese sauce in every bite.
Freezing your Bolognese Pasta Bake is a great way to save leftovers or prepare meals ahead of time. While you can freeze leftovers after baking, I recommend freezing it before baking, preferably in single-serving dishes. This helps prevent the pasta from overcooking when reheating. Be sure the bake has cooled completely before freezing..
If you're reheating from frozen, it's best to let the pasta bake thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat, cover the dish with foil and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 20-25 minutes, or until it's heated through. If you want the top to be extra crispy, uncover it for the last 5-10 minutes of reheating. You can also microwave individual portions on medium heat, though you may lose some of that delicious crunch from the cheese topping.
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Recipe Card
Best Ever Bolognese Pasta Bake
Mouthwatering Bolognese Pasta Bake with rich, hearty Bolognese meat sauce, perfectly coated pasta, and a golden melted cheese topping. A comforting and delicious family favourite!
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped chopped
- 1 courgette, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1.5 cups (360ml) of beef, chicken or vegetable stock
- 455g (1lb) of extra lean beef mince (ground beef)
- 3 cups (720ml) of crushed tomatoes (or passata)
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons of tomato puree
- handful of mushrooms sliced
- 350g (12.5oz) of dried pasta of choice (can use gluten free)
- salt and black pepper to season
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- dash or worcestershire sauce
- Salt and Black Pepper
to top:
- 150g (5.5oz) of Mozzarella
- 60g/2oz of Cheddar
- 30g (1oz) Parmesan
to serve:
- fresh chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Add the mince, onion and garlic to a deep frying pan over a medium high heat and cook until browned.
- Add the carrot, courgette and mushrooms and cook for a further 3 mins.
- Add the herbs, crushed tomatoes, stock, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and then cover and reduce to simmer. Allow to simmer for 30 mins, until sauce thickens and becomes nice and rich. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Preheat oven to 200c or 400f (gas mark 6)
- Place the pasta in a saucepan of boiling hot water and cook until al dente - approx 7 mins (you want it to still have a slight bite, as it will continue to cook in the oven).
- Add the pasta to a large oven proof dish.
- Add the bolognese meat sauce and mix well.
- Top with all cheeses and sprinkle of black pepper.
- Place in oven and bake until cheese has melted and is golden on top. Approx 30mins
- Serve topped with fresh chopped Italian parsley and your choice of sides.
Notes
Please see below for full nutritional info and additional details about recipe:
- Calories - scroll down to nutritional info box
- WW Points and other Slimming or Weight Loss programs - due to plans regularly changing and updating, we recommend calculating with the official tools you get as a member to those plans to ensure accuracy of values.
- Suitable for Freezing ❄️
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Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1 SERVINGAmount Per Serving Calories 511Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 79mgSodium 806mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 5gSugar 10gProtein 30g
Nutritional information is an estimate and is to be used for informational purposes only. Ingredients can vary greatly from brand to brand and therefore it would be impossible to give accurate information.
Jo says
Oooh this looks absolutely gawwwwjusss! will definitely be giving it a go. Thank you, Jo x
admin says
it is yummy 🙂
pam says
this recipe is absolutely lovely used a few times and for dinner tomorrow i give it 5 stars
Janet Lorkins says
This dish was very simple to make and tased gorgeous. I made it for one of our taster evenings and everybody has asked for the recipe.
Anonymous says
This was really easy to make and as with all the recipes have tried on here extremely tasty - I sprinkled over extra parmesan on my husbands portion and he had no idea was slimming recipe!
Padsum says
This dish was extremely easy to make.My husband and boys really enjoyed.I have loads left can u freeze tis?
Siobhan (Slimming Eats) says
It would be suitable to freeze, made up before it goes in the oven. But would perhaps dry out a bit if frozen after going in the oven. Hope that helps
Natalie Jane Farndale-Lawson says
how did you know the syns as only the HE is listed? sorry new to this
Caz says
This is absolutely amazing ! It tastes delicious. My hubby loved it too and took it work for lunch two days running ! You have to try it , you won't be sorry .
Rosie Butcher says
This pasta bake was so easy and my whole family really enjoyed it !!
Kerri says
Really enjoyed this and so did hubby - clean plate! Tasted even better the next day for lunch, mmmmm!
Eleenia says
Loved this. I used the giant she'll pasta I had left over from your spinach and ricotta pasta dish.
Heidi says
O.m.g this was delicious. The balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce made all the difference. Amazing flavour will be a favourite in our house from now on.
Lorraine R says
Shevy this met with thumbs up from the other half in this house! It is a ripper recipe and certainly can lay claim to "best ever" bolognese. We loved it! I followed the recipe to the letter and used gluten free penne pasta which turned out fine. Thanks for another winner and a keeper! ❤️
Charlotte Arena says
I have and seen a lot of pasta bakes and made and this one is the very best. And is low calorie!!!!! Trust me I am half Sicilian and this is one cracker of a recipe. I have made it a dozen times now and it always beautiful !!!
Teresa Whittaker says
I have this dish in the oven right now oh that sauce is amazingly good can't wait until it's done smells amazing and I'm starving lol!
Lisa says
Just tried this for the first time, halved the recipe to serve 3 (could easily serve 4) I added kidney beans, was extremely tasty and filling, will be making again .