This pasta features all the ingredients of a great burger beef mince, bacon, cheese, onions, tomato, mustard, and gherkins... if you like them.
All you need is one pan, 30-40 minutes and mainly store-cupboard ingredients for this easy dinner which is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!
Jill Stewart (@jillbakes_)
County Antrim Foodie and Instagrammer
INGREDIENTS…
Serves 4-5
Spray oil
500g lean mince beef
150g lean back bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
2 peppers, diced
500g passata
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika
1 tsp onion granules
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tsp sugar or sweetener
350g dried pasta (I used wholemeal penne)
1 beef stock pot dissolved in 900-1100ml boiling water
50g cheddar cheese, grated
2-3 tbsp chopped gherkins (optional!)
4-5 cheese slices
INSTRUCTIONS…
Spray a non-stick pan over a high heat with spray oil. Add the bacon and cook for 4-5 minutes until browned. While the bacon is cooking, prep your veg. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan.
Cook the mince for 3-4 mins until nearly fully browned. Then add the onions and cook for 2 minutes before adding the peppers and cooking for 3-4 mins until softened.
Add the bacon back in along with all the other ingredients (except the grated cheese, gherkins and cheese slices).
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 18-25 minutes until the pasta is cooked stirring every so often (cooking time will depend on the pasta chosen - if it starts to dry up and the pasta isn’t cooked, add more boiling water and cook out.)
When the liquid is mostly absorbed and the pasta is cooked, take off the heat and stir through the grated cheddar cheese.
Set the cheese slices on top and melt under the grill for a couple of minutes. If your pan has a metal handle you can pop it under the grill - if it is plastic or rubber either cover the handle with tin foil (this will stop it melting) or transfer to an ovenproof dish. Scatter over the gherkins if you like them, serve and enjoy!
Any leftovers will heat up the next day perfectly!
MEET JILL STEWART…
Jill Stewart, from Portglenone, is a true Foodie who brings her passions together to create a unique balance of both healthy dishes and sweet treats on her Instagram social media blog, Jill Bakes.
Jill is passionate about creating and sharing recipes on her Instagram platform (@jillbakes_) which are easy to follow, quick to make and not using hundreds of ingredients! And with over 46,000 followers, a lot of people are enjoying Jill’s food journey.
The County Antrim lady has been a keen baker from a very young age, learning many skills from her late Grandma who was a fantastic baker.
Jill is a regular recipe contributor for Ireland’s Homes Interiors and Living magazine.
CLICK HERE to head over to INSTAGRAM to discover JILL BAKES - it is a fantastic blog where you'll discover enough inspiration to keep you baking and cooking for months!