This easy, cheesy one pan mince pasta is going to be your new go-to quick weeknight meal. 30 minutes from start to finish and everything (including the pasta) is cooked in one pan!
I have to tell you, I am seriously considering not ever posting another dinner recipe on this blog ever again. We are so outright obsessed with this cheesy one pan mince pasta that I am struggling to think how I am going to top this.
Not only is it the ultimate comfort food situation, it also wins ALL the prizes for being speedy, cost efficient, easy to cook and ONE PAN!! We have been eating this at least once a week for the last couple of months and it's got to the point where I don't even erase it from the blackboard meal planner because it has well and truly earned a permanent spot there.
This recipe was originally going to be a mince pasta bake - it's such a classic family meal. But then I remembered that I hate doing dishes and knew that there had to be a way to avoid the frying pan + pasta pot + baked on cheese in the oven dish situation. Lightbulb. Throw the uncooked pasta into the mince when you add the sauce ingredients, cover up and let it do it's thing.
It's a miracle. The pasta cooks PERFECTLY in the sauce. I am never cooking pasta in a pot ever again.
Expert tip
The key is adding extra liquid to the sauce. A tin of tomatoes + a cup and a half of beef stock is the perfect amount - enough to cook the pasta and make a super delicious sauce. That's what I actually like about this over pasta bake - no risk of it drying out.
And if you think that you'll miss the melty cheesy goodness that comes with pasta bake, fear not. Once the pasta has cooked, throw liberal handfuls of your favourite grated cheese on top and cover it for another couple of minutes. The melty cheese that ensues will convert you if nothing else does.
Even better, if you have a cast iron pan, throw it under the grill for a couple of minutes instead to get the cheese golden.
Why this recipe works
- It is cheap to make and uses pantry staples
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Packed full of flavour and super saucy
- Saves you dishes
- An epic melty cheese meal
It ticks every single dinner time box!
The other thing about this recipe that makes it a real winner is that my kids LOVE it and over the years that you have all been making this dish, your fussy kids and husbands love it too! Feeding a family can be hard work, so adding new crowd favourite recipes into the mix is so satisfying! Cheesy mince pasta has become part of our regular rotation along with butter chicken with naan bread, Josh's homemade burgers (which we love making into mini sliders) and the ultimate kid favourite quick stovetop macaroni cheese
It's kid friendly, farmer friendly and hungry mama friendly. What more do you need?
Cheesy One Pan Mince Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed or finely chopped)
- 500 grams beef mince (ground beef)
- 1x 400 gram tin of chopped tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 1 Tablespoon dried mixed herbs
- 1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups dried penne pasta
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese (or any other cheese)
Instructions
- You will need a large frying pan with a lid for this recipe. If you don't have a pan with a lid, you can use tinfoil to cover it instead.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the beef mince/ground beef and brown (about 5 minutes)
- Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, mixed herbs & worcestershire sauce and stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium/low, add the pasta and stir to combine. Cover and allow to cook for 15 minutes, stirring once during cooking.
- After 15 minutes, remove the lid and check that the pasta is cooked. If it needs, cook for an extra couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover again for a further 2 minutes until the cheese has melted. If you have used an oven proof (e.g. cast iron) pan you can put it under the grill to melt the cheese if you would prefer.
- Take the pan off the heat and serve immediately!
If you tried and loved this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below!
Marie says
This is a great recipe and I actually just googled it again having made it before and not saved it. Different spin on Spag Bol. I add a couple of extra spices for our taste but this is worth keeping!
Alison wright says
made this absolutely delicious, cooked the pasta first before placing it with other ingredients i my saucepan
Alison wright says
Absolutely loved this meal, I cooked the pasta separately, then put it in the meal afterwards
Vicky Guild says
A great, easy dinner for when the day has punched you in the face! I add lots of vege and serve with crusty bread (cos carbs are life) everyone love this and there's always leftovers for lunch.
Connor says
Very tasty but took an age for the pasta to cook through properly! Other than that, great way to use up what’s left in the cupboards before payday! Thanks 🙂
Kaisa McAdam says
This is a great and very tasty dish. I make it weekly, we all love it. So quick and simple. Thank you, love all your recipes.
Sue says
Made this tonight for the first time and it didn’t disappoint.. very tasty .. quick and easy meal .. will definitely be making it again
Destiny says
Made this for the first time tonight & it's freaking amazing! Everyone (including 1yo, 3yo AND 4yo) ate it all up without a single fuss. Will 100% be making this again and again!
Thank you!
Shani says
This was a real hit with my whole family. A quick and delicious recipe that I’ll definitely be adding to the weekly meal planner!
Jen says
Awesome quick & easy meal and super kid friendly too!!
Abby says
Just made this for dinner. Quick, easy & tasty 😄
Margot says
Absolutely a go-too recipe, tasty and filling. You won’t be disappointed.
CraftyLittleMummy says
I found this recipe from a google search today to use up the pasta and mince we had left. It turned out ok but sadly the pasta didn't quite cook through properly. I add some extra water in the hope it would soften more, but it just wouldn't turn!
Practice makes perfect I suppose! I will try again next week.
kelly says
This is a brilliant weekday recipe!! Really brilliant (I hate dishes too) and really very yummy. Thank you.
Nicky Lloyd says
Loved it! Simply delicious and SO easy. I had some mince in the fridge and wanted a quick meal, it came out great and only one pan to wash up! Win win.
I am in the UK and once I roughly coverted the cup measurements it was easy.
Thank you Linda 👍
Clive says
We all love this, and my kids can't believe their Dad can cook!
Eileen says
Can you freeze this recipe please
Laura says
I have frozen it before but I don't love it actually. I found the pasta goes quite soft and isn't particularly great.
Carol says
Fabulous recipe...quick, easy @nd delicious...
Granny Jan says
Enjoyed this. I used macaroni instead of pene pasta and didn't have any tomato puree but it turned out great. I have just sent the recipe off to student grandson who is flatting!
samson scott says
loved it,had to make something for my school work and for family and they all loved it