This deliciously flavourful and wonderfully filling lamb keema pasta bake is perfect for the whole family.

This chunky keema pasta bake is wonderfully filling and lightly spiced

It's not too spicy, so should suit younger tastebuds (my 4-year-old wolfed it down) but you can of course tone down the heat if you wish.

Are you a fan of lamb? When was lamb keema last on your menu? Simply Beef and Lamb is on a mission to remind the nation that lamb keema isn't just delicious, it's wonderfully versatile too, providing a base for a host of new and exciting dishes.

The Keema Sutra campaign (got to love that name!) proves that lamb mince is a fab, affordable ingredient, and when used in a keema, helps you banish boring meals and spice up your family’s cooking repertoire.

Take a look at the Keema Sutra manual on the Simply Beef and Lamb website to learn how to cook lamb dishes that have been passed down through generations by the Keema Nans, Mamta Gupta and Pervin Todiwala.

An important note: when choosing your meat – whether its beef or lamb – look out for a quality mark like Red Tractor logo - It means the meat is farm assured and is of top quality.

Ingredients

For the lamb keema

450 g (15.9 oz) lean lamb mince (ground lamb)
2 tsp vegetable oil (canola oil) or vegetable oil
1 large onion peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves (2) garlic peeled and finely chopped or crushed or 10ml/2tsp garlic purée
1 tsp fresh root ginger minced
1-2 green chillies deseeded and finely chopped
3 tbsp curry paste of your choice
3 medium (3) fresh tomatoes chopped
1-2 tsp granulated white sugar
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 pinch salt and black pepper

For the pasta bake

200 g (7.1 oz) dried pasta shapes e.g penne, fusilli or eliche
100 g (3.5 oz) broccoli cut into small pieces or florets
1 pinch salt and black pepper
150 ml (5.1 floz) lamb stock hot
50 g (1.8 oz) fresh mozzarella
2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro) freshly chopped to garnish

Equipment

Instructions

To prepare the lamb keema, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and cook the onion and garlic over a low heat for 10 minutes or until soft and lightly golden.

Cooking onion and garlic in a frying pan

Add the ginger, hot chilli sauce or fresh chillies and curry paste.

Mixing in hot chilli sauce, curry paste and ginger

Cook over a moderate heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cooking the mixture over a moderate heat

Add the lamb and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato purée and bring to the boil.

Adding tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan

Season, reduce the heat and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water, if needed. (If you're not ready to use at this stage, cool quickly, transfer into plastic container and freeze for up to 3 months)

To prepare the pasta bake, preheat the oven to Gas mark 5, 190°C, 375°F. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain and set aside. Cook the broccoli in a separate pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and set aside.

Put the keema in a large nonstick pan with the stock and heat for 3-4 minutes until hot.

Remove from the heat and add the pasta and broccoli.

Adding pasta and broccoli to the lamb keema.

Season if required.

Lamb keema with pasta mixed in and seasoned

Combine the mince and pasta with half the cheese.

Adding cheese to the lamb keema and pasta

Spoon the mixture into a 2L (3½pint) ovenproof dish or 4 individual ovenproof dishes. Alternatively, do as I did and use a dish that can go from hob to oven - it's a great time saver!

Preparing the chunky keema pasta bake for the oven

Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Sprinkle the chunky keema pasta bake with cheese before baking

Garnish with freshly chopped coriander or parsley, if desired, before serving with warm crusty bread and a crisp green salad.

Enjoy!

If you'd like this chunky keema pasta bake recipe in an easily printable format, just click PRINT below:

Simply Beef and Lamb has also made a series of videos to help you master the Keema Sutra. Check this one out:

For more information visit www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk

What do you think? Are you tempted to try a lamb keema pasta bake? Then here's some recipe tips and tricks.

Which cheese should I use for my pasta bake?

I used mozzarella cheese for its subtle flavour and fantastic texture. However, cheddar will do the job nicely too - just don't put too much in.

I think just a little goat's cheese would also be very nice too, crumbled in a few places on top of the pasta bake.

Which pasta should I use for a pasta bake?

Almost any shape is fine but I'd recommend steering clear of anything too long - spaghetti and tagliatelle will make things messy!

What goes well with a pasta bake?

It really depends on the flavours of the bake, for this particular recipe a nice leafy salad with cherry tomatoes and basil sounds lovely. Or you could really keep up the fusion inspiration with a garlic naan.

How long will my pasta bake keep in the fridge?

If you want to refrigerate your pasta bake make sure it goes in the fridge within 2 hours of coming out of the oven - it should keep for 2 days. Be aware that the texture will take a bit of a hit as the pasta softens.

I think pasta bakes are actually rather nice cold if served with a little salad, but you can warm it back up either in a covered container in the microwave or in the oven at 180C for 25 minutes or until cooked through. If you're worried about burning the outside you can cover with aluminium foil.

Can a pasta bake be frozen?

As with refrigerating a pasta bake you will lose some of the texture you get vs one fresh out of the oven, but overall pasta bakes do freeze well. Simply defrost overnight in the fridge.

Print this keema pasta bake recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Chunky Keema Pasta Bake Recipe

A deliciously flavourful keema pasta bake, with gently curry flavours and a fabulous topping of stretchy mozzarella cheese.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 15

Total Time1 45

Course: Pasta meals

Cuisine: Indian, Italian

Servings: 4 bowls

Author: Emily Leary