Meatball, kale & mascarpone pasta bake
Waitrose and Partners

Meatball, kale & mascarpone pasta bake

A warming Italian pasta bake that's just perfect for a winter evening.

5 out of 5 stars(3) Rate this recipe
  • Serves4
  • CourseMain meal
  • Prepare10 mins
  • Cook40 mins
  • Total time50 mins

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Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 300g reduced fat British beef meatballs
  • 250g frozen Cooks’ Ingredients Soffritto Mix
  • 3 rosemary sprigs, chopped, to give 1 tbsp
  • 100ml red wine (see drink recommendation below)
  • 2 400g cans chopped Italian tomatoes with olive oil and garlic
  • 1 tsp honey or sugar, to taste
  • 250g Napolina Bronze Die Penne Rigate
  • 150g Pentland Brig kale, torn from the stems and roughly chopped
  • 125g mascarpone
  • 30g parmigiano reggiano, finely grated, plus extra to serve

Method

  1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a wide pan. Add the meatballs and sizzle for 5 minutes until browned, then transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the pan, followed by the soffritto mix and half the rosemary, plus a little seasoning; soften for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6.

  2. Pour in the wine, let it bubble and reduce a little, then tip in the tomatoes and honey. Simmer for 10 minutes, drop in the meatballs and take off the heat. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and boil for 12 minutes, piling the kale on top for the final 2 minutes.

  3. Drain the pasta and kale, reserving 3 tbsp cooking water, then tip into a medium baking dish. Pour over the meatballs and sauce; toss gently together with the reserved cooking water. Dot the mascarpone across the top, scatter with the parmigiano reggiano and remaining rosemary, then bake for 10 minutes until golden. Serve with extra cheese, if liked.

Cook’s tip

To make this vegetarian, replace the meatballs with 200g ready-cooked chestnuts (chop and add with the soffritto), stir 250g puy lentils into the tomato sauce and use a vegetarian hard cheese instead of parmesan.

And to drink...

Smooth, spicy No.1 St Hallett Shiraz, Australia 2018 makes the perfect ingredient and wine match.

Nutritional

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe

Energy

2,889kJ/ 708kcals

Fat

29g

Saturated Fat

13.1g

Carbohydrates

63.7g

Sugars

14.7g

Fibre

8.3g

Protein

39.3g

Salt

1.38g

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Overall rating (5/5)

5 out of 5 stars3 ratings