Advertisement

  • 400g spaghetti
    or other pasta
  • 100g cherry tomatoes
    quartered (use a mix of colours)
  • 1 tbsp mascarpone
  • 1 bunch basil
    roughly chopped
  • parmesan
    to serve

For the mince base

Nutrition: Per serving

  • kcal681
  • fat21g
  • saturates9g
  • carbs79g
  • sugars8g
  • fibre7g
  • protein40g
  • salt0.5g

Method

  • step 1

    Heat half of the oil in a pan, add the onion and fry until it starts to soften, then add the garlic, celery and carrot and cook until soft. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a separate frying pan and fry the mince in batches, scooping each batch out with a slotted spoon and leave any excess oil behind.

  • step 2

    Add the mince to the veg, then stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min. Stir in the passata and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over a very low heat for 1½-2 hrs, then add the milk and cook for 30 mins. If you're making the base ahead of time, you can leave it to cool at this stage then freeze for up to a month. (Defrost fully before using in the next step.)

  • step 3

    Cook the spaghetti following pack instructions.

  • step 4

    Tip the mince base into a pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 min, then stir through the mascarpone and basil. Serve over the spaghetti and top with parmesan, if you like.

RECIPE TIPS
USE THE MINCE BASE

You can also use the mince base to make our smoky black bean chilli, or our sweet potato-topped cottage pie.

MORE BATCH COOKING IDEAS

See more batch cooking recipes to save time and stress when preparing family meals.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2017

Advertisement

Comments, questions and tips

Rate this recipe

What is your star rating out of 5?

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Overall rating

A star rating of 4.4 out of 5.13 ratings
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement