One Pot Mince and Pasta

Ingredients

• 600g beef mince
• 1 Tbsp olive oil — staple
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach (wilted into the pan)
• 1 Tbsp Italian herbs — staple
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional) — staple
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 400g can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups beef stock — staple
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups short pasta
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• (veg side) 1 head cos lettuce, washed and torn
• (veg side) 1 cucumber, sliced
• (veg side) 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• (veg side) 1 carrot, grated
• (veg side) dressing: 2 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice — staple

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large deep frypan and brown the mince, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add the onion and spinach and cook until the onion has softened.
3. Stir in the garlic, Italian herbs, chilli flakes, tomato paste and canned tomatoes and mix well.
4. Pour in the stock, milk and pasta. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium heat and cook 12-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes so nothing catches, until the liquid has absorbed and the pasta is al dente.
6. Season to taste, scatter over the cheese and let it melt on top.
7. Side salad: while the pasta cooks, toss the torn cos, cucumber, tomato wedges and grated carrot with the oil and vinegar; season.
8. Serve immediately with the salad alongside and crusty garlic bread if you want it.

Notes

- Protein-first portioning: meat set to 600g per 4 serves to land ~42g protein/serve (house rule). - Only a 20% lift is needed because the pasta, milk and cheese already contribute ~12g protein per serve. Stock, milk, tomato paste, herbs, pasta and cheese all stay at source levels. - Keep stirring while the pasta cooks; a one-pot pasta will stick to the base otherwise. - If it looks dry before the pasta is done, splash in more stock a quarter-cup at a time. - Pork mince or half beef / half pork works fine; a leaner mince (premium/lean) drops it by roughly 60 cal per serve. - Calories/protein exclude the garlic bread. - Veg/staples sweep: the pot only carried an onion and a can of tomatoes, so the spinach is no longer optional (two handfuls, cooked in) and the house side salad was added with its own step — about +50 cal / +2g protein and ~150g veg per serve. Onion, garlic, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, milk and pasta lost their "staple" markers and gained search hints.