This is one of those dinners that feels a bit wrong at first… because you don’t cook anything before.
I remember thinking: “raw pasta AND raw beef? this won’t work.”
But it does. And actually — it’s better, because everything cooks together and the sauce gets thicker and richer.
Just don’t eyeball the liquid. I did once, and the pasta was… not happy.
Quick Info
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30–35 minutes
- Total Time: ~40 minutes
- Servings: 4–5
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Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F). Take a medium baking dish — not too big. You want the liquid to actually surround the pasta, not disappear.
- Add 2 cups dry pasta directly into the dish. Spread it out evenly.
- Crumble 400 g raw ground beef over the top. It feels weird, I know — but this is exactly how it’s supposed to go. Try to break it into small pieces so it cooks evenly.
- Scatter 1 diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves over everything.
- In a bowl, mix 1½ cups broth, 1 cup tomato sauce, 2 tbsp ketchup, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp pepper.
- Pour this mixture evenly over the dish. Press the pasta down gently so it’s mostly covered — this matters more than you think.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil, stir everything (this is where it suddenly looks like actual food), then sprinkle 1½ cups cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake uncovered for another 8–10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving — it thickens slightly and gets that perfect texture.
What actually matters here
The pasta needs enough liquid. If anything sticks out dry, it won’t cook properly. Just press it down before baking — small thing, big difference.
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