Cheesy Mexican taco pasta tray bake

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1. Boil a large pan of water with ½ tsp of salt for the pasta. In the meantime, pre-heat your oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
2. Prep the vegetables as described in the ingredients.
3. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, deep frying pan on high heat.
4. Once hot, add the mince and cook until browned, about 4-5 mins.
5. As it cooks, break up the mince and then add the onion, carrot and pepper,
6. Cook until the vegetables are slightly softened.
7. Then add the garlic and Mexican taco spice (add to suit heat level required ) and continue to cook for a minute or so.
8. Add the chopped tomatoes, stock liquid and season with salt and pepper.
9. Simmer until the sauce thickens (10-12 mins), stirring well.
10. While the sauce simmers, add the penne to the pan of boiling water and cook until al-dente.
11. Drain the pasta when cooked, retaining a cup of the pasta water.
12. If the Mexican beef sauce is too thick, add a bit of the pasta water.
13. Mix the beef sauce with the pasta and 50g of the grated Cheddar.
14. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle over the remaining grated cheese.
15. Bake for about 8-12 minutes, until the bake is golden brown on top.
16. Allow to stand for a few minutes then plate out.
17. Top with optional garnishes, serve and enjoy!