Mexican Pork and Salsa Pasta Bake

Nutrition per serve

Ingredients

• 1pcs carrot
• 1pcs onion
• 1bunch coriander
• 200g penne pasta
• 300g lean pork mince
• 20g Tex-Mex seasoning
• 2g chilli flakes
• 200g tomato passata
• 50g shredded cheese mix
• 50g fire-roasted tomato and jalapeno salsa
• 15ml olive oil

Method

1. Step 1 — Prep ingredients
   Preheat the oven to 200C, fan-forced. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to the boil for the pasta. Halve the carrot lengthwise (or quarter if large), then thinly slice. Finely chop the onion. Pick the coriander sprigs, then finely chop the stems.
2. Step 2 — Cook pasta
   Cook the pasta in the pan of boiling water for 9 mins or until almost al dente (The pasta will continue cooking when baked. If you'd like to serve this as a tossed pasta rather than baked, boil the pasta for 10 mins or until al dente, then toss with the sauce. Top with grated cheddar, salsa and coriander to serve.) Reserve 125ml (½ cup) cooking water, then drain the pasta.
3. Step 3 — Start sauce
   Meanwhile, heat 1 tbs olive oil in a medium deep ovenproof frypan over high heat (see cooking tip). Cook the pork mince, carrot, onion and coriander stems, breaking up the mince with a spoon, for 4 mins or until the mince is browned and the onion is slightly softened. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Step 4 — Finish sauce
   Add the Tex Mex seasoning and a pinch of chilli flakes* (or omit the chilli if preferred) to the mince mixture and cook, stirring, for 30 secs or until fragrant. Add the tomato passata and reserved cooking water and bring to a simmer.
5. Step 5 — Add pasta and season
   Stir the pasta into the mince mixture until combined. Taste, then season with salt and pepper.
6. Step 6 — Bake pasta and serve
   Scatter the cheese over the pasta. Transfer the frypan to the oven and bake the pasta for 6 mins or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Spoon over the salsa (the salsa has a slight chilli kick; you can serve it separately, if preferred). Scatter with the coriander sprigs to serve.

Allergens

Gluten, Wheat, Sulphites, Milk