Baked pasta with vegetables and mozzarella Recipe
Baked pasta with vegetables and mozzarella is an oven dish in the style of Italian pasta al forno, made with vegetables that are easy to find in Poland. Springy pasta is combined with a thick, reduced sauce of zucchini, bell pepper, broccoli and tomatoes, all covered with a thin, stretchy layer of mozzarella. The recipe is simple but refined so the bake is compact, colourful and not watery.
This is a Polish everyday version of Italian pasta al forno – instead of fancy cheeses and fresh herbs it uses mozzarella, dried seasonings and vegetables available in discount supermarkets.
This is a vegetarian bake with a flavour profile close to pasta from an Italian trattoria, but made from ingredients that are easy to find in Poland. The texture is more vegetable‑forward than cheese‑heavy, so the dish is filling without the heaviness of classic bakes. It also handles small swaps of vegetables well, depending on what you have in the fridge.
Why this version works
- Pasta cooked for less time than on the package stays springy after baking and doesn’t fall apart.
- Blanched or well‑drained broccoli doesn’t water down the sauce and keeps an intense green colour.
- Carefully reduced tomato sauce means the bake can be cut into neat pieces instead of spreading out on the plate.
- One ball of mozzarella gives a stretchy cheese effect without the heaviness typical of very cheesy bakes.
Chef's tips
The easiest way to ruin this bake is to overcook the pasta – take it out of the water when it is distinctly al dente, as it will finish cooking in the oven. If you’re using very watery tomatoes, pour off some of the juice or reduce the sauce until it is thick and slightly glossy on the surface. When golden spots appear on the cheese and the edges start to bubble, the bake is ready – longer baking will only dry it out.
How to serve
Serve it for dinner with a simple salad of rocket or mixed leaves and a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the tomato sweetness. It pairs well with light red wine, homemade lemonade or water with lemon and mint. The next day, pack a portion into a lunchbox and reheat at work in the microwave – the sauce will still be thick and the pasta pleasantly soft.
Watch out for
- Don’t over‑fry the vegetables – if they’re too soft they’ll disintegrate in the sauce and the bake will lose structure.
- If you see a lot of thin liquid in the pan, cook the sauce longer before combining with the pasta.
- Do not cover the bake with foil in the oven, otherwise the cheese will only melt and not brown.
Ingredients
- pasta short, e.g. penne, fusilli - 250 g
- zucchini medium - 1 piece
- red bell pepper - 1 piece
- broccoli fresh or frozen florets - 250 g
- onion - 1 piece
- garlic - 2 cloves
- canned tomatoes chopped - 400 g
- mozzarella cheese in a block or balls - 200 g
- rapeseed oil - 2 tablespoons
- dried basil - 1 teaspoon
- dried oregano - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Cook the pasta in a large amount of salted water for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and quickly toss with a little oil or rinse with hot water so it doesn’t stick together – it should be distinctly al dente.
- Divide the broccoli into small florets. If using fresh, drop into boiling water for 2–3 minutes until intensely green and slightly tender, then drain and dry well. If using frozen, just defrost and drain thoroughly so it doesn’t release water.
- Wash the zucchini and cut into half‑slices. Wash the pepper, remove the core and seeds, and cut into strips or cubes. Peel the onion and dice finely, finely chop the garlic so the pieces are no larger than 2–3 mm.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, until very fragrant but not browned.
- Add the zucchini and pepper. Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften slightly but are still springy – when pierced with a fork they should offer gentle resistance and not fall apart.
- Add the canned tomatoes, broccoli, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the sauce clearly thickens; when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan, the liquid should briefly expose the bottom and not run like water.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease a baking dish with oil, including the sides, so the pasta doesn’t stick and dry out around the edges while baking.
- In a large bowl, mix the pasta thoroughly with the vegetable sauce until all the tubes are clearly coated, with no dry spots. Transfer to the baking dish and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Drain the mozzarella well, cut into slices or cubes and spread in an even layer over the top of the bake, leaving small gaps – in the oven the cheese will melt and join together.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted, lightly browned in places and the edges of the bake start to bubble gently. Let stand for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly and the portions hold their shape when serving.
Storage
Store for up to 3 days in the fridge, tightly covered. After reheating the pasta will be softer and the mozzarella less stretchy, but the sauce will stay thick and the vegetables will keep a pronounced flavour.
I most often bake it on Fridays, when the fridge is full of leftover bits of vegetables – they all end up in one pan. I often swap part of the mozzarella for a piece of blue cheese left from evening snacking in front of a series to give the bake more character.
