Olive oil, vegetables, pasta, and cheese. Bake. Easy.
Well, there is a little more than simply bunging the lot into a hot oven.
A vegetable pasta bake is one of those recipes that rewards flexibility more than precision. The vegetables change depending on what needs using up; the cheese on top can be whatever is lurking in the fridge, and the whole thing improves if left to sit for five minutes before serving. I have made this with whatever was rolling around in the bottom of the vegetable drawer — cauliflower, courgette, sweetcorn, green beans, and red pepper — and it has never let me down.
The key is two minutes less on the pasta before it goes into the oven. It will finish cooking in the sauce and come out with a proper bite rather than turning to mush.
Vegetable Pasta Bake
First, cook dried pasta of choice for two minutes less than the instructions on the packet.
While the pasta is cooking, soften chopped onion, in a little oil.
Add crushed and chopped garlic, and then start adding vegetables of your choice. When they have started to take on colour, add some tomato purée. Stir for one minute.
Add a tin of chopped tomatoes or a carton/jar of tomato frito and a splash of vegetable or chicken stock, continue cooking until the liquid has reduced.
Add a pinch of red chilli flakes and a grind or two of black peppercorns and dried herbs of choice. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt or celery seeds to taste.
Drain and mix the pasta with the vegetables, then pour into an ovenproof dish.
Top with grated cheese, mozzarella, and/or cheddar.
Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 30+ minutes.
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Use any vegetables that you have to hand. I used onion, cauliflower, courgette, sweet corn, green beans, red pepper, and parsley stalks.
This recipe is part of my Pasta Recipes collection. It joins a growing collection of pasta dishes — from quick weeknight suppers to slow-cooked ragù and baked Italian classics — in my complete Pasta Recipes hub.
Wonky photos, proper pasta, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef
