Upside Down Winter Warmer Beef Ragu Pasta Bake
with Mushrooms, Creamy Rigatoni and Baby Leaf Salad
- Cereals containing gluten
- Wheat
- Sulphites
- Milk
- Egg
Pasta bakes are a crowd-pleasing dish, typically pairing tomatoey sauces with gooey melted cheese. Here, we're flipping the pasta bake on its head by topping creamy pasta with beef ragu for contrasting textures and flavours, though you can always mix it all together in your bowls if you'd like to!
Ingredients
1 unit(s)
Garlic Clove
180 grams
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains: Cereals containing gluten, Wheat)
240 grams
British Beef Mince
120 grams
Sliced Mushrooms
1 carton(s)
Tomato Passata
28 grams
Red Wine Stock Paste
(Contains: Sulphites)
1 sachet(s)
Dried Oregano
150 grams
Creme Fraiche
(Contains: Milk)
10 grams
Chicken Stock Paste
20 grams
Grated Hard Italian Style Cheese
(Contains: Milk, Egg)
50 grams
Baby Leaf Mix
Not included in your delivery
½ tsp
Sugar for the Sauce
75 milliliter(s)
Water for the Sauce
75 milliliter(s)
Reserved Pasta Water
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 0.5 tsp salt.
Peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press).
When boiling, add the rigatoni to the water and bring back to the boil. Cook until tender, 12 mins.
Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat (no oil).
Once hot, add the beef mince and mushrooms and fry until browned, 5-6 mins. Use a spoon to break the mince up as it cooks, then drain and discard any excess fat.
Season with salt and pepper. IMPORTANT: Wash your hands and equipment after handling raw mince. It's cooked when no longer pink in the middle.
Add the garlic to the beef and fry until fragrant, 1 min.
Stir in the passata, red wine stock paste, dried oregano, sugar and water for the sauce (see pantry for both amounts).
Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer until thickened, 10-12 mins.
Meanwhile, preheat your grill to high.
Once your pasta is cooked, reserve some pasta water (see pantry for amount), then drain in a colander.
Return the pasta to the pan, off the heat. Drizzle with oil, then mix in the creme fraiche, chicken stock paste and reserved pasta water.
Transfer your creamy pasta to an appropriately sized ovenproof dish, making sure the bottom is entirely covered.
Spoon the ragu over the top in an even layer and sprinkle over the cheese.
Grill until golden brown and bubbling, 4-5 mins.
When ready, share your upside down pasta bake out between your bowls.
Serve the baby leaf salad alongside, drizzling a little olive oil over the leaves to finish.
Enjoy!
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Aug 2026- Flavour: The ragu is rich and deeply flavoured, drawing frequent comparisons to lasagne; some find the creme fraiche layer quite dominant, so adjust to taste.
- Ease of prep: Most find this straightforward and quick enough for a weeknight, though a handful felt the number of steps added up more than expected.
- Suggestions: Add extra cheese on top for a more satisfying finish, and consider finely chopping the mushrooms to blend them more evenly into the ragu. Adding peppers, onions, or a splash of chilli oil can boost the flavour further. To keep the pasta hot, hold it on a very low heat while the ragu simmers, and use a snug ovenproof dish so the layers stay thick rather than spreading too thin.
- Next-day meals: Portions are generous and the bake keeps well, with several people getting three servings from a two-person box and enjoying leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Portions: A family of four is comfortably fed, and some found the pasta slightly outweighed the sauce, so consider scaling the ragu up if you prefer a meatier balance.
