Help me out - quick pasta

[Maximus]

Ok, I have 500g (should that not be 500ml?) of Passata, wholemeal penne pasta, plenty of mince, onion, garlic cloves, and mixed herbs. I was just going to make a pan of pasta bolognese to use up the passata really. A couple of questions as usually I just follow pre-packed or processed Dol Mio etc.

Firstly, can Ido the onions and garlic in fry light and add the mince to seal/brown then add the pasta (cooked separately) and passata and a few herbs?

Sounds simple enough, but what are the recommended amounts (approximate would do) of mince and penne for the 500g of passata?

Also can this be decanted for freezing as I don't want to eat the lot in one sitting?

Finally, I have bought quark for the first time. Might it be possible to use this as a form of bechemal replacement and turn the whole dish into a pasta bake of sorts?

This is all new to me so I have a rough idea and love dabbling in the kitchen. Any advice or even criticism as always welcome as I look to add to my repertoire

Steve.

 

[*honey]

This is the Sauce i make for using for Lasagne, spag bol, meatballs and spaghetti or just as a pasta sauce.

Good-for-you bolognese sauce

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 courgettes, chopped
3oz Mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
400g chopped tomatoes ( or your pasata will be just as good)
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar for a more italian taste
Basil fresh ( dried if not, or dried mixed herbs)
veg stock cube
300ml boiling water


Method
1) soften onion in frylight ( add some salt it stops them burning), then add carrots, courgettes, mushrooms and garlic and continue to soften.
2) add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, stock cube and water. season with s and p. ( dried herbs if not using fresh)
3) bring to the boil and then simmer for 15 mins with a lid on.
4) add the fresh basil if using
5) blitz in food processor or use hand blender.

use this sauce as you would a pre made jar. with mince beef or quorn and spaghetti meatballs or just on its own.

even if you dont like those veg, you cant taste them as indervidual tastes as they are all blitz.

I then just cook up the amount of mince or quorn that i need for that meal and use an appropriate amount of sauce. The sauce does freeze well.
When i buy mince i freeze it in portion sizes, so i just defrost what i need.
( i am vegie, so use quorn, hubby meat and SW, so i have his lean mince frozen, and my friend just has normal mince, but only has small appetite so hers are frozen in smaller amounts.
I then just brown the mince and add the sauce to each pan.

The quark on its own wouldnt work in place of bechemel, but with egg added has been used as a substitue( i personally hate it like that)
you could add the quark to the tomato sauce to make a more creamy tomato sauce.

 

[Maximus]

Might seem a silly question, and thanks for all of the above, but how much mince per person is a portion would you say?

It is the portions sizes I am having to learn or re-educate myself.

 

[*honey]

Hi my hubby would have half of a 500g extra lean mince pack for any mince based dish, so 250g. (RED day) if on a green day we use Quorn mince and i use maybe 1/2 a pack between us. My friend only has a small appetite and i split a 800g value pack into 6 portions so 133g portions. (all raw weight)

 

[Littleslimmingbee]

if using a 500g pack of mince, i usually split mine in half as i can make two meals out of it- and i would be able to make 3 decent portions out of whatever i make with half.

so 250g devided between 3.. so 80g ish (?)


my way:

grate or crush garlic and fry with chopped onions, 1 red pepper with frylight.

add mince, then when mince is almost cooked through, add entire carton of passata, - add steak seasoning, drop of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar, a splash of wochester sauce, garlic italian seasoning, basil, oregano and black pepper.. stir thoroughly and leave on low to simmer for 10-15 mins so all the herbs are cooked into it properly.

then serve on pasta

the best way to make sure you make the right amount of pasta is to tip it into your bowl raw, bearing in mind it swells after cooking and then do as many as you are serving (so if there is 3 of you, pour 3 bowls and put into your pan)

xx

 

[Maximus]

250g it is then I'm hopeless at portion sizes - Never been used to having to measure before.