I came across the idea for this dish by watching an episode of Molly Yeh on the Food Network channel. This is a dish consisting of a meat, a starch and a veg, cooked in one pot. There are a number of variations of the dish, a lot of them consisting of mushroom soup as the liquid to buy the ingredients together. I found it was a good way to use up what I had in the freezer for a quick lunch. I think the whole thing took me about 30 minutes to put together.
Ingredients
Oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
250 g mince, beef or pork
150 g bacon, fried until crispy and diced, save the rendered fat to carry on with the rest of the recipe.
1 can tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato puree
Oregano
Paprika
Sage
Thyme
A few dashes of Worcester Sauce, to taste
1 mug/ can Beef broth (I fill up the tomato can once it has been empties into the pan)
(Optional) Pinch of sugar
1 Bowl of mixed vegetables, whatever you have in the fridge/ freezer. I used a mix of peppers, peas and sweetcorn. Note- the bowl I used here is the kind i normally use for serving soup in.
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 double handfuls of wholewheat pasta shapes, depending on how large your hands are.
Grated cheddar cheese
Method
Use the same pot that the bacon was fried in as this has extra flavour. Add a bit more oil if needed and fry onion until soft. Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes. Add the mince, cooking until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Return the bacon to the mixture.
Add the tomatoes and tomato puree, mixing everything together. Add the herbs by sprinkling them directly into the pot, according to your taste. Start with a little bit and add more as you taste. I tend to go heavier on the paprika and oregano, as I prefer their taste. Add a few splashes of Worcester sauce, anything between 2 to 5, depending on how spicy you like it. Add the pinch of sugar here if desired to take away some of the sourness of the tomatoes.
Add the beef broth and vegetables. Bring to the boil before adding the pasta. Sir this in and cover until cooked through. Keep an eye on the pasta and add more liquid if you feel it is getting dry before its cooked all the way through.
When the pasta is cooked, sprinkle the cheese on top and either cover back up with the lid until it melts or stick everything under the grill for a few minutes.
Serve on plates with a side salad.
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