Want to take spaghetti bolognese to another level? Then you have to try my cheesy bolognese pasta bake!
I like to prepare this pasta casserole on days I work from home and when I've already had spaghetti bolognese the day before. Why? There are two good reasons:
With a few tricks, you can significantly improve the nutritional content of a classic pasta bake which contains lots of cream and cheese, without having to forego much flavor!
In my recipe we don't use cream, but instead a mixture of milk and cream cheese! I'm pretty sure you won't miss the taste of cream and it has the benefit of saving some fat and adding a little more protein to the recipe.
Additionally, I don't usually use classic, white wheat pasta for this recipe, but rather pasta made from chickpeas! Legumes are known to be rich in protein and fiber and therefore significantly enhance this recipe.
Finally, I use reduced-fat Gouda cheese to top the casserole. I can understand if you prefer to use "real" cheese in your casserole. However, I love this casserole just as much with this lighter version and can only recommend that you try it at least once. Since we already use real freshly grated Parmesan and processed cheese in the cheese sauce, you won't feel like you're missing out on cheese or flavor with that golden-brown cheese layer on top!
If you haven’t found your favorite recipe for Sauce Bolognese yet, you can try my Bolognese sauce recipe! It's easy to follow and understand - particularly suitable for beginners! For this recipe you need about 300g of Bolognese sauce.
If you fancy a warm casserole during this cold season, feel free to try out my recipe and let me know in the comments whether you like my healthier version!
[trp_language language="de_DE"] https://youtube.com/shorts/V7EETyZK8ZM?feature=shared [/trp_language] https://youtube.com/shorts/SIZfRGmf8iI?feature=sharedPasta in a delicious symbiosis of a creamy cheese sauce and a hearty Bolognese sauce; and covered with a golden brown layer of cheese! This cheesy Bolognese pasta bake is particularly suitable for warm, cozy winter days at home. And you don't have to feel guilty about it, because you can improve the nutritional value with one or two tricks!
First, put water in a pot with a good teaspoon of salt and bring it to a boil.
Meanwhile, you can cook the cheese sauce. To do this, put the cream cheese in a small saucepan and heat it, stirring constantly. When it starts to boil, you can add the milk and mix everything well until it's well combined and simmering.
Then add the processed cheese and let it melt into the sauce. You can also season it with a little bit of pepper.
By now your pasta water should be boiling. Put the pasta in the water and cook it according to the instructions on the packet until a little firm (al dente). Since it will continue to cook later when it is baked, you should not cook it for too long now.
For chickpea pasta, this usually only takes about 4 minutes.
Now add the Parmesan to the cheese sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring it to a boil and set aside for a moment.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water and place the pasta in a 22cm x 14cm baking dish. Spread the Bolognese sauce over the pasta and mix it in. Then add all of the cheese sauce to the baking dish. Finally, sprinkle the grated Gouda cheese over the casserole.
Bake the cheesy Bolognese pasta casserole at 180 °C, top / bottom heat, for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Let the casserole cool briefly and then serve.
servings 2
** The daily percentages are based on a 2000 kcal diet. Your daily figures might be higher or lower according to your caloric need.
*Advertisement (Affiliate): I prefer using this chickpea fusilli.
Thank you for choosing this recipe! Thank you for your support and I hope you have fun trying it out and creating magic in the kitchen.