Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website.

Dinner Done Right: The Very Veggie Pasta Bake Recipe

This soothing pasta dish is perfect for a cosy night in with family or friends…

It can be difficult to stay on track when it comes to sticking to eating habits that support your resolution to start the year with a clean slate and a renewed focus on health and wellbeing. So we thought we’d give you a helping hand with a scrumptious yet wholesome and comforting easy sharing recipe that will help switch up that mid-week meal. Getting a delicious kick from vibrant veggies and Italian aromas and oozing with deliciously melty mozzarella, this Very Veggie Pasta Bake will definitely be a dinner winner! Just gather the ingredients and follow the step-by-step instructions to thrill everyone with the easy, healthy restaurant-style recipe, which was developed by Marks & Spencer’s in-house experts and chef, Chris Baber.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes 
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 1 bunch (25g) basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped 
  • 300g wholewheat penne pasta 
  • 250g Piccolini vine tomatoes
  • 80g spinach
  • 1 ball (125g) lighter mozzarella, torn into small pieces 
  • 1 bag (120g) sweet baby leaf salad, to serve


METHOD: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. 
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat and fry the aubergine cubes for three-five minutes until they take on some colour. Add the garlic, cooking for a further two minutes.
  3. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and basil stalks, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until you have a thick sauce. 
  4. While the sauce is simmering, cook the wholewheat penne pasta for one minute less than the packet instructions in a large pan of boiling salted water.
  5. Remove the tomatoes from the vine, add half of the pack to the sauce whole, then stir in the spinach and most of the basil leaves, saving a little to garnish. 
  6. Mix in the cooked pasta with the sauce, transfer to an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over the torn mozzarella and bake for 15 minutes until golden and bubbly. 
  7. Add the remaining basil leaves to the top of the bake and serve with the remaining tomatoes and salad leaves.

Share Article

Write a comment