Beef Shin Pasta Pie

Beef Shin Pasta Pie

This meat sauce is a very inexpensive and versatile winter dish.  Once the meat sauce is made, it keeps in the fridge for a week or so.  If anything, the pasta sauce improves in flavour over a couple of days after cooking. It can be frozen in 1 or 2 meal size portions and used when required. Alternatively, you can assemble the whole dish, pasta and cheese included, and freeze as portions, then just defrost and pop into the oven. Perfect for a hassle free night.

A good hearty meal to fill up students returning home for university holidays, looking for mum’s wholesome, home cooking.

Ingredients

·        2 large pieces of beef shin, bone in (ask your butcher)

·        2 onions, roughly chopped

·        big bunch of parsley, chopped

·        1/3 bottle cheap red wine

·        4 tins canned whole Italian tomatoes

·        4 tins hot water

·        olive oil

·        parmesan cheese

·        grated cheddar cheese

·        penne or fettuccine pasta

Method

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan.  Season beef shin, and brown in pan. Remove from pan and set aside. Put onion and parsley together into the same pan and lightly fry until wilted. Put meat back in saucepan.  Pour in red wine to deglaze the pan.  Add tomatoes and water. Bring to boil.

Turn the heat right down and cook with the lid off at a very slow simmer for 4 – 5 hours, stirring occasionally, until meat is falling off the bone.

Cool down, remove meat and shred.  Put meat back into sauce mixture. 

Cook pasta according to packet instructions.  Once you have cooked and drained the pasta, add your meat sauce. (The above recipe makes enough sauce for at least 10 or more portions of pasta. Just eyeball the amount of sauce that you need.) Place pasta mixture in a casserole dish (or make individual portions in ramekins) and cover with the two cheeses mixed together.

Bake in oven at 180C for 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown.