Pasta Bake with Vegetables and Mozzarella Recipe
This colourful pasta bake is full of vegetables and stretchy mozzarella. The flavour is a bit like a vegetable dish from an Italian trattoria, but the ingredients are ones you can easily buy in any local shop. It’s a good choice when you want to eat something meat‑free but still filling.
This pasta bake is a vegetable answer to classic heavy meat dishes – filling, yet full of colour and lightness. The combination of courgette, pepper, broccoli and canned tomatoes creates a sauce in the style of an Italian trattoria, and the stretchy mozzarella gives the whole dish a pleasantly “restaurant‑like” character. Despite the Mediterranean feel, you can easily buy all the ingredients in a neighbourhood shop.
Chef's tips
Be sure to cook the pasta for less time than indicated on the packet, because it will continue to cook in the oven – otherwise it will become mushy and lose its structure. Don’t fry the vegetables for too long; they should soften slightly but keep their colour and firmness so the bake doesn’t turn into a uniform mush. If the tomato sauce seems very thin, cook it a few minutes longer until some of the water evaporates – that’s the key to neat, well‑defined portions.
How to serve
Serve this bake as a meat‑free weekday dinner or as a main course at a gathering where some guests don’t eat meat. It tastes great with a simple rocket salad and vinaigrette and a glass of dry, light red wine or homemade lemonade. The next day you can pack a portion in a lunchbox for work – it reheats well and doesn’t lose flavour.
Ingredients
- pasta short, e.g. penne, fusilli - 250 g
- courgette 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 plenty of salted water for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Divide the broccoli into small florets. If using fresh broccoli, put it into boiling water for 2–3 minutes, then drain – it should be slightly tender but still firm. If using frozen broccoli, just defrost it and drain off excess water.
- Wash the courgette, trim the ends 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, chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds more.
- Add the courgette and pepper. Fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften slightly but are not completely soft.
- Add the canned tomatoes, broccoli, basil, oregano, a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 5–7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Lightly grease an ovenproof dish with oil.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta with the vegetable sauce. Transfer everything to the dish and smooth the top.
- Cut the mozzarella into slices or cubes. Distribute evenly over the top of the bake.
- Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the cheese has melted, lightly browned and the edges of the bake are gently bubbling.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 5 minutes and serve hot.
Storage
Store leftovers in the fridge in a closed container and reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Eat within 2–3 days. The bake can also be frozen in portions and reheated in the oven, covered, straight from the freezer.
