Cookbook author Fatima Sydow shares her tasty steak mince pasta bake recipe in her book Fatima Sydow Cooks (Human & Rousseau: an imprint of NB Publishers).
Fatima says, “My best friend Robin Swain was the first person to taste this dish when I originally made it about 20 years ago (he has been one of my taste testers for decades). His reaction was priceless, and since then he has requested it for his birthday every year without fail. So the tradition has been kept alive and is as strong as our friendship … friends for life.”
SERVES 6–8
You will need:
For the mince
15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 chillies, chopped (optional)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 kg steak mince
salt and black pepper, to taste
115 g tomato paste
5 ml (1 tsp) mixed herbs
2.5 ml (½ tsp) dried parsley
45–60 ml (3–4 tbsp) sugar
For the white sauce
50 g butter
salt and pepper, to taste
5 ml (1 tsp) English mustard
15 ml (1 tbsp) cornflour
500 ml (2 cups) milk, warmed
For the pasta
750 ml (3 cups) uncooked elbow macaroni
250 ml (1 cup) Cheddar cheese, grated
For the topping
4 x 250 ml (4 cups) Cheddar cheese handful of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
250 ml (1 cup) red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
freshly ground black pepper, to taste pinch of dried mixed herbs pinch of dried parsley
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How to make the steak mince pasta bake
- For the steak mince: Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add the onion, chillies and garlic and sweat the onions for about 5 minutes. Add the mince and cook until brown. Now add the salt and pepper and cook for another 20 minutes, adding a little water as necessary to ensure it doesn’t burn.
- Next, add the remaining ingredients and 250 ml (1 cup) water and cook on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, adding a little more water as necessary.
- For the white sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the salt and pepper and English mustard. In separate bowl, whisk together the cornflour mixed with 125 ml warm milk.
- Pour the milk mixture into the melted butter and, with a hand whisk, whisk for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the flour to cook through. Now add the rest of the milk, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
- For the pasta: Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions to al dente. Add to the mince mixture with the Cheddar cheese and mix through. Transfer to an ovenproof dish.
- Pour over the white sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, black pepper, dried mixed herbs and parsley. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Serve with a fresh salad.
Fatima Sydow Cooks (Human & Rousseau: an imprint of NB Publishers) is available for purchase in book stores and online.
