Vegetarian Pasta Bake
- Servings: 4
- Calories per serving: 650
- Frying pan
- Ovenproof dish
- Saucepan
- 300g Penne Pasta (dry)
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 1 large aubergine
- 1 red onion
- 2 peppers
- 2 courgettes
- 3 garlic cloves
- tomato puree
- 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
- fresh basil
- 25g hard cheese
- 25g mozorella
- 75g mature cheddar
- 20g panko breadcrumbs
- Black pepper, salt
- Crush and dice the garlic cloves, store in a small container
- Chop the large aubergine, store in a container
- Chop the red onions, store in a separate container
- Chop the peppers and corgettes, store in a separate container
- Pick leaves from basil and store in a container
- Finely chop the basil stems too, store in a separate container
- Put the kettle on for pasta water
- Measure out 300g penne pasta
- Open the cherry tomatoes tin
- Cook pasta following pack instructions, but take off heat 2 minutes early
- Drain the pasta but reserve 1 mug full of the pasta water
- The water is starchy and thick, it will thicken the sauce later.
- Keep the mug of pasta water to the side
- Heat 2tbsp olive oil over low-medium heat
- Add the aubergine, stir well to coat in oil
- Fry for 13 mins, then return the aubergine to its container
- Try not to lose too much oil from the pan, if necessary tip oil from the container back into the pan
- Tip the onions in
- Start a timer
- 6 MINS: Stir in peppers and courgettes
- 22 MINS: Add the garlic
- 24 MINS: Stir in tomato puree
- 29 MINS: Add the cooked aubergine, tomatoes, basil stems, half the basil leaves
- Bring to gentle simmer, reset timer
- 22 MINS: Add 1tsp salt and 1tsp pepper, stir, take heat off.
- Heat oven to 180C (fan, 200 old-style)
- Measure out 20g of panko breadcrumbs into a large container
- Grate (or measure if pre-grated) 25g of hard cheese, 25g of mozorella, and 75g of mature cheddar, all into the same container as the panko breadcrumbs
- Add 1/8th tsp of of black papper to the same mixture
- Stir the breadcrumbs and cheese together somewhat, so that they are mixed
- Mix cooked pasta and sauce together, add a "generous splash" of the pasta water
- Season to taste if desired
- Tip into oven dish
- Spread the cheese and breadcrumbs mix over the pasta
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, turn it, bake for another 5
- Garnish with remaining basil leaves, if you're feeling posh