Pasta Bolognese casserole

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 500 g pasta, e.g. fusilli or farfalle
• 2 packs of tomatoes, pureed or chopped, 400 – 500 g each
• 500 g Frikadelle(n) (Frikadelle balls), from the refrigerated section
• 250 g cheese (cheese slices), various varieties
• 250 g grated cheese, e.g. pizza cheese
• 3 tbsp oil, e.g. rapeseed oil or olive oil
• 100 ml white wine, alternatively water
• 2 tsp vegetable stock powder, slightly heaped, alternatively salt
• 5 tbsp mixed dried herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram, lots of thyme)
• e.g. crushed chili flakes
• n. B. Pepper, black
• some water

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 50 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

First, finely break up and mash the meatballs in a large plate using a knife and/or fork. Then, tear the sliced ​​cheese, excluding the finely perforated Tilsiter, into small pieces and mix them in evenly. Preheat the oven to maximum. First, mix the soup mix with a small amount of the passata in a large casserole dish, then add the remaining tomatoes. Also stir in the oil, white wine, herbs, spices, and half of the grated cheese. Repeatedly fill the empty tomato packets with a little water, shake, and add the mixture. Mix everything well. Now alternately add some uncooked pasta and the minced meat and cheese mixture, pressing everything down firmly with a fork. If necessary, add a little more water until all the pasta is mostly covered with liquid, but no more. Press everything down firmly with a fork. Finally, cover the surface with the Tilsiter and the remaining grated cheese. Bake the casserole in the oven at approximately 170°C (convection oven) for about 50 minutes. Tips and hints: I like to use a lot of dried herbs, about 5 tablespoons in total, especially thyme. These herbs aren’t spicy, but they add a strong Italian flavor. For children, you can omit the white wine and use more water accordingly. Casseroles made with uncooked pasta always need to be made a little more runny with additional water, because the pasta absorbs a lot of liquid during baking, and the baking time is comparatively long, about 40 to 55 minutes – depending on how soft you want the pasta to be. If the casserole still turns out too runny or you want it to be firmer, you can stir in 1 tablespoon of flour at the beginning. For a small casserole for 3 people, use only half the amount and only one package of cheese, and bake for a slightly shorter time, 40 to 45 minutes. For the full amount, the casserole dish must be very large, or the casserole must be divided into two dishes.