{"id":8102,"date":"2025-01-21T12:35:43","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T12:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/?p=8102"},"modified":"2025-01-21T12:35:43","modified_gmt":"2025-01-21T12:35:43","slug":"classic-pasta-casserole-with-cow-meat-sauce-and-cheesy-bechamel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/?p=8102","title":{"rendered":"Classic Pasta Casserole with COW Meat Sauce and Cheesy B\u00e9chamel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ingredients<\/strong>:<br><strong>For the Pasta:<br><\/strong>8 oz (250g) pasta<br>A pinch of salt<br>For the COW Meat Sauce:<br>2 tbsp oil<br>1 onion, finely chopped<br>2 cloves garlic, grated<br>16 oz (450g) ground beef<br>2 tbsp tomato paste<br>A pinch of salt<br>A pinch of black pepper<br>1 tsp dried oregano<br><strong>For the B\u00e9chamel Sauce:<br><\/strong>2 oz (60g) butter<br>2 tbsp all-purpose flour<br>14 fl oz (400ml) milk<br>\u00bd tsp black pepper<br>\u00bd tsp nutmeg<br>10 oz (300g) cheddar cheese, grated (reserve 3 oz\/100g for topping)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Directions:<br>Cook the Pasta:<\/strong><br>Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and 8 ounces (250g) of pasta.<br>Cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally. Once done, drain the pasta and set it aside.<br><strong>Prepare the Meat Sauce:<br><\/strong>Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.<br>Add the finely chopped onion and saut\u00e9 until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.<br>Grate 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan, cooking for another minute while stirring to avoid burning.<br>Add 16 ounces (450g) of ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stir until the meat is browned and no large chunks remain.<br>Stir in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, mixing it well with the beef and onions.<br>Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes for the flavors to combine.<br><strong>Make the B\u00e9chamel Sauce:<br><\/strong>In a clean saucepan, melt 2 ounces (60g) of butter over medium heat.<br>Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir constantly for about 1 minute to cook the raw taste out of the flour.<br>Slowly pour in 14 fluid ounces (400ml) of milk while whisking to avoid lumps.<br>Continue whisking until the sauce thickens, about 3-4 minutes.<br>Season the b\u00e9chamel with \u00bd teaspoon of black pepper and \u00bd teaspoon of nutmeg.<br>Once the sauce is smooth and thickened, remove from heat and stir in 7 ounces (200g) of the grated cheddar cheese, reserving the rest for topping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>See also Healthy Holiday Biscotti: A Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Italian Classic<br><strong>Assemble the Casserole:<br><\/strong>Preheat your oven to 360\u00b0F (180\u00b0C).<br>In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the cheesy b\u00e9chamel sauce, mixing well to coat all the pasta evenly.<br>Take a baking dish and layer the bottom with half of the cheesy pasta mixture, pressing down gently with a spatula to form an even layer.<br>Add a layer of the meat sauce on top of the pasta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Repeat the layers, adding another layer of the cheesy pasta followed by the remaining meat sauce.<br>Sprinkle the reserved 3 ounces (100g) of cheddar cheese evenly over the top of the casserole.<br><strong>Bake the Casserole:<br><\/strong>Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly.<br>Once done, remove from the oven and let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving.<br><strong>Serving Suggestions:<br><\/strong>Serve with a fresh side salad and a slice of garlic bread for a complete meal.<br>A light sprinkle of fresh herbs like parsley or basil will enhance the flavors when serving.<br><strong>Cooking Tips:<br><\/strong>Prevent Lumpy B\u00e9chamel: Constant whisking while adding milk ensures a smooth and lump-free b\u00e9chamel sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Meat Substitute: You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based meat for a lighter version.<br>Extra Cheesy: Feel free to mix in other cheeses like mozzarella or parmesan for an extra cheesy flavor.<br><strong>Nutritional Benefits:<br><\/strong>Protein-Rich: Ground beef and cheese provide a great source of protein.<br>Calcium Boost: The cheddar and b\u00e9chamel sauce deliver calcium essential for bone health.<br>Comfort Food: This hearty dish is satisfying, providing energy with its balanced combination of carbs, fats, and proteins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ingredients:For the Pasta:8 oz (250g) pastaA pinch of saltFor the COW Meat Sauce:2 tbsp oil1 onion, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, grated16 oz (450g) ground beef2 tbsp tomato pasteA pinch of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8103,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8102","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8102"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8104,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8102\/revisions\/8104"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.garden-tricks.top\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}