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Home » Recipes » Pasta » Bolognese pasta bake

Bolognese pasta bake

February 23, 2021 by Alida Ryder 41 Comments

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This rich and aromatic Bolognese pasta bake is perfect for busy weeknights or feeding a crowd as it can easily be made in bulk and frozen.

Bolognese pasta bake

Pasta bakes are a fantastic way to save time, money and effort. Whether it’s a simple family dinner or feeding a crowd, pasta bakes are one of my fail-safe recipes and always a crowd pleaser. This delectable Bolognese pasta bake is no different.

Everyone needs to know how to make Bolognese sauce and my easy Bolognese sauce recipe is pretty classic. I keep it simple by flavoring the beef mince/ground beef with tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery and garlic. I like to cook it low and slow to allow all the flavors to marry and for the beef to get super tender. The Bolognese is just dreamy served over spaghetti but there are so many more ways to use it.

This oven baked pasta Bolognese is just one of many ideas. It’s the kind of comfort food you associate with your mom and home. Warm and rich and absolutely delicious and pretty much a lazy quick version of lasagna. It’s also the kind of thing I love making in bulk and freezing for nights when I’m just too lazy or tired to stand in the kitchen for more than 10 minutes.z

Super cheese Bolognese pasta bake

Can you freeze pasta bake

If you want to freeze this recipe, I would suggest letting it cool down completely at room temperature. Press a piece of baking paper onto the surface then wrap well with foil and plastic wrap before placing in the freezer. When it comes to baking, simply remove all the wrapping and baking paper and place on a rimmed baking sheet before baking for 1-1½ hours or until hot and bubbly throughout. It’s the simplest, most delicious dinner you can make.

What to serve with pasta bake

  1. Easy side salad with lemon dressing
  2. Cheesy pull apart garlic bread
  3. Easy crusty bread

Bolognese pasta bake with fresh basil

Pasta bake recipes

  1. Creamy bacon pasta bake
  2. Creamy spinach artichoke pasta bake
  3. Pizza pasta bake

Bolognese pasta bake

This rich and aromatic bolognese pasta bake is perfect for busy weeknights or feeding a crowd as it can easily be made in bulk and frozen.
4.22 from 82 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon pasta bake, Bolognese pasta bake, Bolognese sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 527kcal
Author: Alida Ryder

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Bolognese sauce
  • 2 cups Bechamel sauce
  • 500 g (1lb) pasta of your choice, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup cooking water)
  • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200ºc.
  • Combine the bolognese, bechamel and cooked pasta and mix well. Add a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen the consistency, if necessary.
  • Transfer half of the pasta to an oven-proof casserole dish then sprinkle over half of the cheese.
  • Add the remaining pasta and top with the rest of the cheese.
  • Place in the oven and bake until bubbling and the top is golden.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

If you are making this ahead, assemble the pasta and cover well before refrigerating for up to a day or freezing for up to a month. Bake from frozen but allow for up to 30 minutes more baking time.

Nutrition

Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 392mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 261IU | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 2mg


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Filed Under: Dinner Recipes, Meat, Pasta, Recipes Tagged With: Bolognese, easy recipe, make ahead recipe, Pasta, Pasta Bake, quick recipe, recipes to feed a crowd, Spaghetti Bolognese

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Comments

  1. Liz

    January 16, 2021 at 8:24 PM

    How do you all freeze this dish please? Do you just use tupperwear tubs.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      January 24, 2021 at 8:37 AM

      Leftovers can be frozen in tupperware but if you want to freeze it before baking, I would suggest assembling in a foil container and then freezing.

      Reply
  2. Alice Hayward

    January 25, 2020 at 6:34 PM

    Could this be made with an Alfredo sauce in place of the bechamel?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      January 28, 2020 at 2:44 PM

      Yes, absolutely!

      Reply
  3. Nora

    January 12, 2020 at 4:04 PM

    Made this the other night and it was loved by both households (I made one for hubby and our picky toddler who also devoured it! And one for my parents’ place) and it was a huge hit!
    Making another big batch now to pop in the freezer while I have all the fresh ingredients on hand.
    My qurstion though – I’ve assembled it all in the baking dish ready to pop in the oven. Do I cook it then let it cool and freeze it to reheat when I want to have it for dinner another night? OR do I pop the assembled but unbaked dish in the freezer to cook through completely when I want to have it on the day?
    Hope i make sense, and hopefully get a response soon so I know what to do 😀
    Thanks again, i LOVE your recipes xx

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      January 15, 2020 at 3:39 PM

      I freeze before I bake it but you can do it either way. 🙂

      Reply
  4. alicia

    June 18, 2019 at 3:27 PM

    can you add meat to this?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      June 18, 2019 at 4:09 PM

      The bolognese is a meat sauce so this recipe already contains meat.

      Reply
  5. Jodie

    June 1, 2019 at 5:45 PM

    I mix the bechemal sauce with my bolognaise sauce?

    Will the taste of the bechemal not just get lost??

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      June 2, 2019 at 2:46 PM

      The purpose of the bechamel is to add creaminess to the pasta bake, you can definitely layer it instead if you wish.

      Reply
      • Ingrid Wilson

        March 15, 2020 at 2:02 AM

        My Mum used to make this quite often and called it “pasta al forno” or “maccheroni al forno”. We loved it especially the crusty bits on the top. I’ve never used mozzarella in it but rather grated Parmigiano , especially on top which gives a beautiful crust over the bechamel. Will add mozzarella to make it even more cheesy. Thank you for your lovely recipe.

        Reply
        • Alida Ryder

          March 19, 2020 at 12:34 PM

          The crusty bits are the best!

          Reply
  6. Veronica Holliday

    February 8, 2019 at 8:25 PM

    Your bechamel sauce is my favorite, I’ve made this recipe a ton of times. I love that I can freeze a few ‘bakkies’ and whip one out when I don’t have to make dinner for hubby.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      February 10, 2019 at 7:34 PM

      It’s perfect for making ahead and freezing. So happy you like it. 🙂

      Reply
  7. David Nichols-Young

    February 2, 2019 at 1:06 PM

    Looks Yummy – does the bologense need to be warmed through with the bechamel?

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      February 4, 2019 at 9:31 AM

      You can warm it through if you prefer but it will be warmed through when baking as well.

      Reply
  8. Lella w

    May 1, 2018 at 8:18 AM

    I made a huge batch of this for lunch and froze a lot to stock up my mother’s freezer (with your instructions written on for the carers.) It is so delicious! Once again a winning recipe from you. My favourite go to is still your Mexican chicken soup!
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      May 1, 2018 at 8:44 AM

      I’m so pleased to hear that, it’s definitely a winner for those days where you’re stuck and have nothing to cook/can’t be bothered and I’m so glad your mom has a freezer full of delicious food now. 🙂

      Reply
  9. Julia

    April 14, 2018 at 2:58 PM

    Alida,my mouth is watering every time I see your beautiful photos! Love this recipe! 🙂

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 14, 2018 at 4:21 PM

      Thanks so much Julia!

      Reply
  10. Swati Saxena

    April 11, 2018 at 8:59 PM

    This is so true that Pasta bakes are a fantastic way to save time, money and effort. I just bookmarked your recipe as it looks so tempting to try.

    Reply
  11. Gloria

    April 11, 2018 at 7:03 PM

    This looks like the perfect comfort food dish. I know my family would be all over this. I love making HUGE batches since I am already in the kitchen. More food for later works well for me.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 12, 2018 at 9:54 AM

      Cooking ahead is always a good idea!

      Reply
  12. Claudia Lamascolo

    April 11, 2018 at 4:36 PM

    This sure looks so good. I just love the cheesey goodness! Looks awesome!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 11, 2018 at 4:57 PM

      Thanks so much Claudia.

      Reply
  13. Traci

    April 11, 2018 at 4:26 PM

    Oh goodness, I need to make this! Not sure why I’ve never thought to put Bolognese sauce with Bechamel…but YUMMMM! This sure wouldn’t last long in our house. Pinned and saving…thanks for the recipe inspiration!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 11, 2018 at 4:57 PM

      Thanks so much Traci. It sure is a goodie. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes

    April 11, 2018 at 3:58 PM

    Having make-ahead freezer friendly meals like this in your back pocket are so helpful!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 11, 2018 at 4:57 PM

      Totally!!

      Reply
  15. Vicky

    April 11, 2018 at 3:50 PM

    Pasta bakes make for the ultimate comfort meal! This looks amazing and the photos are gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 11, 2018 at 4:58 PM

      Thanks so much Vicky!

      Reply
  16. Di

    April 11, 2018 at 3:51 AM

    Can’t seem to access link to bechamel or Bolognese recipes! Arrghhh

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      April 11, 2018 at 4:58 PM

      I am so sorry about that Di. I fixed the links! Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply
  17. Beverley Press

    December 7, 2016 at 11:18 AM

    Such a heart and tummy warming recipe for this time of year. Love pasta and all of your recipes, it’s the way your write them , thank you .

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      December 7, 2016 at 4:25 PM

      What a wonderful compliment, thank you Beverley!

      Reply
  18. nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps

    December 7, 2016 at 12:28 AM

    That cheese! My goodness, THIS is comfort food if I ever saw it!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      December 7, 2016 at 9:57 AM

      Right? Everybody loves a cheesy-pull shot, don’t they? 😉

      Reply
  19. Marisa @ All Our Way

    December 5, 2016 at 6:18 PM

    You simply can’t go wrong with pasta and Bolognese sauce. Have you ever made the sauce with milk? OMG it is so creamy and delicious! Your pasta recipe would be perfect for my busy, hungry family.

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      December 6, 2016 at 11:20 AM

      Oooh I definitely will the next time I make it!

      Reply
  20. Mary Ann @ thebeachhousekitchen

    December 5, 2016 at 4:02 PM

    This pasta bake would be perfect for company over the holidays Alida! I love the added bechamel!

    Reply
    • Alida Ryder

      December 6, 2016 at 11:21 AM

      Thanks Mary Ann! The bechamel just adds that yummy creaminess.

      Reply

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