Pan Bolognese Pasta

Rich beef bolognese cooked together with pasta shells and finished with cream and cheese. I love how those little shells hold the sauce!

All cooked in one pan, this simple dinner is ready in 30 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion - peeled and finely diced
• 1 carrot - peeled and finely diced
• 1 stick celery - finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper - chopped into small chunks
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 450 g (1 lb) minced beef
• 3 tbsp tomato puree (paste)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) beef stock - (water + 2 stock cubes is fine)
• 120 ml (½ cup) milk - half fat or full fat
• 800 g (28 oz) tinned finely chopped tomatoes - (2x 400g(14oz) tins)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 300 g (10 ½ oz) pasta shells
• 120 ml (½ cup) double (heavy) cream
• 100 g (1 packed cup) grated cheddar

To serve:

• Small bunch chives - chopped
• Chilli flakes
• grated parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and pepper and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens.
2. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
3. Add the minced beef and cook for 5-6 minutes, until browned. Stir often, breaking up any large chunks of meat with a spatula.
4. Add the tomato puree, oregano, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, milk, tinned tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir together and bring to the boil.
5. Stir in the pasta shells, bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 17-22 minutes, stirring a couple of times during cooking, until the pasta is cooked through.
6. Remove the lid, then stir in the cream and cheese, until the cheese melts.
7. Serve topped with chopped chives, chilli flakes and grated parmesan.