Penne and sausage pasta bake

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 8 thick pork sausages, skin removed, meat crumbled
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 300ml/10½fl oz vegetable stock
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 50g/1¾oz plain flour
• 500ml/18fl oz milk
• 400g/14oz penne pasta
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6

2. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil and gently cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes.

3. Crumble in the sausagemeat and fry until coloured on all sides. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and turn down the heat. Gently simmer for 10 minutes while you make the white sauce.

4. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir to mix. Cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture has taken on a biscuit-coloured appearance. Slowly add the milk, bit by bit, whisking as you add to prevent any lumps from forming. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes to thicken slightly then remove from the heat.

5. Meanwhile cook the penne in a pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Once cooked, drain and pour into the pan with the sausage and tomato mixture. Mix well. Pour this into a medium-sized ovenproof baking dish. Pour over the white sauce and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.

Tips

In May 2013 this recipe was costed at £2.72 at Asda, £3.41 at Tesco and £3.12 Sainsbury’s.
This recipe is designed to be made in conjunction with a
low-cost store-cupboard.