Burger and Pasta…two of my favourite foods so surely the dream combo? The answer is yes, yes it is! I saw this dish on a restaurant menu months ago and thought I’ve got to recreate this at home myself. Not only is it delicious, it’s all done in the one pan so it’s really easy and creates minimal washing up. Not only that but it’s a perfect dish for kids as it combines all the lovely flavours of a classic burger and makes 6 portions. Perfect to feed the whole family and still have leftovers.

You can bake the dish at the end if you fancy (make sure to add additional points if you use more cheese) however I’ve tested it both ways and my favourite is to stir the cheese through the pasta and let it go all stringy and melty. Divine.

I used Cape Herbs and Spices Texan Steak Seasoning in this recipe but you can use any steak seasoning you can get your hands on (Schwartz do one which is available in most supermarkets). Pickle relish is also widely available, just look near the chutneys!

If you are feeling really extra you can fry up a couple of slices of bacon near the end of cooking the pasta. Remove the fat, fry in 1kal til crispy and then chop to a fine crumb, then sprinkle across the finished dish when you are dressing it. If you use bacon this would make it one extra sp per person.

SMART POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 6 = 10sp per serving on BLUE and GREEN and 4sp per serving on PURPLE

Per serving

• 440 cals
• 10.3g fat
• 55.7g carbs
• 31g protein

INGREDIENTS

500g lean (5%) beef mince, raw

1 white onion, peeled and finely diced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

5 tsp steak seasoning

1 tbsp tomato puree

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp each onion powder and garlic powder

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

400g tin of tomatoes

1 beef stock cube

1 tsp salt

360g pasta (shape of your choice), dry

2 tbsp each ketchup, American yellow mustard and pickle relish

3 spring onions, sliced into thin rounds

2 large gherkins, sliced into rounds

75g light cheese, grated

METHOD

Take a large pan (with a lid if you have one) and add the mince. Fry on a medium/high heat for around 5 minutes until the meat starts to brown and cook through.

Add the onions and garlic with 2 tsp of steak seasoning, fry for another few minutes and then crumble in the stock cube and add the tomato puree. Stir, fry for a minute and then add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Fry for a few seconds and then add the tomatoes, 1 litre of boiling water and 1 tsp salt. Stir and then tip in the dry pasta, stirring to make sure the stock covers it. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on and reduce to a simmer for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through (the pasta should absorb most of the water so the dish doesn’t end up a runny consistency).

Remove the lid, add the remaining steak seasoning, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish and simmer for another 5 minutes letting the sauce thicken up.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and then finally stir through the cheese, spring onions and gherkins. Simmer for another minute or so to let the cheese melt and remove from the heat.

Plate up, sprinkle with bacon crumb if you are having it and enjoy!

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Cheeseburger Pasta

SMART POINTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Serves 6 = 10sp per serving on BLUE and GREEN and 4sp per serving on PURPLE

Per serving - 440 cals- 10.3g fat - 55.7g carbs- 31g protein

Ingredients

• 500 g lean 5% beef mince, raw
• 1 white onion peeled and finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves peeled and finely minced
• 5 tsp steak seasoning
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp each onion powder and garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 400 g tin of tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tsp salt
• 360 g pasta shape of your choice, dry
• 2 tbsp each ketchup American yellow mustard and pickle relish
• 3 spring onions sliced into thin rounds
• 2 large gherkins sliced into rounds
• 75 g light cheese grated

Instructions

• Take a large pan (with a lid if you have one) and add the mince. Fry on a medium/high heat for around 5 minutes until the meat starts to brown and cook through.
• Add the onions and garlic with 2 tsp of steak seasoning, fry for another few minutes and then crumble in the stock cube and add the tomato puree. Stir, fry for a minute and then add the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Fry for a few seconds and then add the tomatoes, 1 litre of boiling water and 1 tsp salt. Stir and then tip in the dry pasta, stirring to make sure the stock covers it. Bring to the boil, pop the lid on and reduce to a simmer for 10-12 minutes until the pasta is cooked through (the pasta should absorb most of the water so the dish doesn’t end up a runny consistency).
• Remove the lid, add the remaining steak seasoning, ketchup, mustard and pickle relish and simmer for another 5 minutes letting the sauce thicken up.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper and then finally stir through the cheese, spring onions and gherkins. Simmer for another minute or so to let the cheese melt and remove from the heat.
• Plate up, sprinkle with bacon crumb if you are having it and enjoy!