Beef and Spinach Pasta Bake

A simple pasta bake using fresh ingredients, full of flavour and oh so delicious! It is a very filling dish, so beware! What looks like a small portion on your plate is certainly going to fill your tummy! Thank you Love Foodies

2 Cups of your favorite pasta cooked and drained.
1 lb Ground beef pork, chicken or soya

1 Package of fresh or frozen spinach 
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce or Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 cup sliced mushrooms 
Salt & Pepper

Cheese Sauce

3 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups Milk
1 1/4 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper

• Peel & chop onion, garlic and mushrooms   
• Add to a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Lightly fry until the onions are soft and translucent 
• Add your meat and cornstarch and cook, stirring in the pan with the other ingredients. 
• Add the spinach and Worcestershire Sauce 
• Season with salt & pepper.
• Leave to simmer very low whilst you make the cheese sauce. 
• Melt butter in pan under gentle heat
• Add Flour and beat until smooth paste and take pan off the heat.
• Combine the milk and broth 
• Slowly add a little at a time and combine until smooth, 
• Add a little more of the milk / broth, combine. 
• Continue until all the milk / broth is used.
• Return to gentle heat, and keep stirring until thick ..about 5 minutes  
• Season with salt and pepper if you wish...your cheese may be salty so taste the sauce first
• Add 3/4 of the grated cheese and combine. 
• The remaining 1/4 of the cheese is for the top of the bake.
• Preheat oven to 170 C / 325 F / Gas 3
• Start with a layer of 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan
• Top with a layer of cooked pasta, then cheese sauce. 
• Repeat these layers, ending with the cheese sauce as the final top layer. 
• You should be able to make 3 layers altogether.
• Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top.
• Place in the oven for 45 minutes. 
• When done, remove and leave to set for 30 minutes or it will be  too slushy. 
• Allow to firm up a little then you can get the bake from the pan using a fish slice.