Minced Meat and Penne Casserole

There are days like that(fortunately rare), when I don?t like doing anything at all. I just waste the whole day lazily, dragging myself lethargically. Well, day before yesterday was one of those boring days and I had to prepare something for dinner. It took us a lot of time to finish the homeworks that particular day, leaving me very little time to prepare dinner.I would have just skipped dinner if I could but then, what about my hungry teddies and my Hum Hum? I went into the kitchen in the idea of coming out as quickly as possible and this is what I improvised for that night, a very quick, simple and easy dish but very good indeed.

Ingredients:
500g minced meat ( I used ½ pork and ½ beef)
100g bacon
2 big onions
1 tsp minced garlic
2 green chilies (deseeded and slit lengthwise)
8 tomatoes
½ cup dry white wine (optional) can be substituted by juice of half a lemon
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp parsley leaves
2 tbsp basil leaves
5 tbsp oil
Pasta as needed (I used Penne)
400g Cheese (any variety which can be melted, I used the Raclette cheese)
Method:
Cook the pasta in a big vessel of salted boiling water al dente and reserve.
Chop the onions and the tomatoes very finely.
Clean and chop the fresh herbs.
Heat 5 tbsp oil in a vessel; add the bay leaves followed by the onions and the green chilies. Fry until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and the bacon and fry for a minute.
Add the minced meat and fry for a while until the meat changes its color.
Add the white wine or the lemon juice.
Add the chopped tomatoes and stir everything together.
Add salt and some freshly ground pepper.
Cook closed for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat.
Garnish with fresh herbs.
Preheat the oven to 200°.
Line a baking tray or a baking dish with the pasta, add the sauce and mix well. Top this with the cheese and bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve hot.
Goes well with a Chianti / Bourgueil / or a Beaujolais Nouveau.