Spanish pasta bake with vegetables and cheese Recipe
This pasta bake is a homestyle Spanish dish that often appears on the table midweek, when you need to feed several hungry people from one baking dish. Pasta, vegetables, and cheese make it hearty and filling, and the lightly browned top is hard to resist. The flavors are simple, but thanks to olive oil and sweet paprika it has a clear Mediterranean feel.
A simple, budget-friendly Spanish-style pasta bake that feeds a crowd from one dish, with a comforting combination of vegetables, tomato sauce, and a golden cheesy crust.
Chef's tips
Undercook the pasta slightly so it doesn’t turn mushy while baking. Taste the sauce carefully before mixing with the pasta – it should be well seasoned, as the pasta will mellow the flavors. Use a cheese that melts well and browns nicely for the best texture on top.
How to serve
Serve as a main course with a crisp green salad, cucumber slices, or a tomato salad with onions. It also pairs well with a slice of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
Ingredients
- pasta short, e.g. fusilli or penne - 250 g
- zucchini cut into half-moons - 1 piece
- bell pepper red, cut into strips - 1 piece
- onion diced - 1 piece
- canned tomatoes chopped or whole, crushed - 400 g
- yellow cheese grated, well-melting - 120 g
- olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- sweet paprika ground - 1 teaspoon
- oregano dried - 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 indicated on the package so it stays slightly firm in the center. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes, until softened.
- Add the bell pepper and zucchini, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the vegetables soften but still hold their shape.
- Sprinkle in the sweet paprika and oregano, stir, then pour in the canned tomatoes. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and taste to make sure the flavor is pronounced enough.
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- In a large bowl, mix the cooked pasta with the vegetable-tomato sauce and half of the grated cheese.
- Transfer everything to the baking dish, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and lightly browned and the edges are gently bubbling.
- After removing from the oven, let the bake rest for 5 minutes so it is not too runny when serving.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This is one of those reliable midweek dishes that you can easily adapt to what you have in the fridge. The Mediterranean flavors from olive oil, tomatoes, and paprika make it feel sunny and comforting, even on a busy day.
