Beef and Noodle Bake

I do admit to a certain fondness for pasta . . . it is somewhat of a passion with me . . . and every once in a while, I just can't help myself. I just have to have some.
Not a problem if you are married to most men, as most men don't mind a bit of pasta now and again either.



But . . . if you are married to the Toddster, it becomes a bit of a problem, because . . . as you already know . . . the Toddster HATES pasta with as much passion as I love pasta!!!!



I think the problem really lies in us having come from two completely different generations. His being old fashioned . . . wartime . . . traditionally British . . . school dinners . . . boiled cabbage and spuds . . . tinned corned beef . . . stodgy fare . . . And then there is mine . . . post War, baby boomer . . . spoilt for choice . . . a multi cultural palate . . . foodie in the extreme!



What it really boils down to this . . . I don't cook pasta very often, but once in a while I just have to have some and so I cook it. And he eats it . . . under protest of course. Mind you . . . I have noticed that he always clears his plate.



I baked a delicious pasta casserole yesterday . . . stogged full of meat and tomatoes, two kinds of cheese, chopped spring onions, sour cream . . . flat noodles.
I told him to think of the noodles simply as being flat potatoes, kind of squished out into long strips . . . um . . . and boiled.



He just wasn't going to buy into that idea . . . but he ate it and appeared to be enjoying it. Me-thinks he doth protest a tiny bit toooooo much, don't you think??? Normally I'd consider this to be "Man Food," and maybe in your house it will be. In this house however . . . it was considered torture.

But what's a pasta loving gal to do?



*Beef and Noodle Bake*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Kind of like a deconstructed lasagna. Family food. Stick to the ribs and mightly tasty!

450g of extra lean ground steak (1 pound)
390g pouch chopped tomatoes in tomato juice with basil and onions
(about 2 cups)
1 tsp sugar
garlic powder to taste
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
125ml of sour cream (1/2 cup)
300g tub of cottage cheese (about 1 1/4 cups)
8 ounces of wide flat noodles (parpadelle)
1/2 bunch of spring onions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
4 ounces strong cheddar cheese, grated (1 cup)

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a square glass baking dish. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet and lightly spray with some non stick cooking spray. Add the beef and scramble fry over medium high heat until nicely browned. Add the tomatoes and sugar. Season to taste with garlic powder, salt and lots of frreshly ground black pepper. Allow to simmer while you cook the noodles.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Once cooked drain well and rinse with cold water. Drain again.

Stir together the sour cream, cottage cheese, spring onions, some salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir this mixture into the noodles.

Layer half the noodles in the baking dish. top with half the meat, and half the cheddar. Top with the remaining noodles, meat and cheddar. Bake in the heated oven for 30 minutes until bubbling and all the cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot. Delicious!!