I know, bit of a chunky recipe title BUT it’s necessary because there is A LOT going on in this delicious pasta bake. I know pasta is typically a comfort food so not really something people reach for as head into the summer months and the weather starts to get warmer, BUT I love me some carbs all year round so here I am, with a pasta bake, in April. Oh well.
That being said, what I love about this recipe is that although it’s pasta the flavours and ingredients are so fresh and light that it still feels and tastes like summer. I think tomatoes and basil are always a winning combination, but the additional of the golden cherry tomatoes is SO GOOD, they add such a lovely sweetness. You can of course use any fresh tomoato available to you, I know it’s tough to get things right now, but if you can hunt these down in your local greengrocer i promise they’re worth it.
Now lets talk cheese. I used mozzarella and mascarpone because when is one ever enough? Tomatoes and mozarella are always a good idea together but addition of mascarpone to the sauce and added ontop of the bake adds such a light creaminess.
This recipe will feed 4 people, it’s super simple to make and pretty quick too, it’s delicious reheated the next day too so if you manage not to eat it all in one sitting then you can get a meal out of it the next day too!
Thank you so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed this post and feel inspired to make something delicious!
If you’re hungry for more @claudiashomekitchen is full of all things yummy! Happy cooking, Claudia x
INGREDIENTS
250g paccheri rigati pasta (any cut of pasta you have will work, I just like the larger cut for this recipe)
1 white onion, finely chopped
4 garlic gloves, minced or finely chopped
1tbsp tomato purée
1 tin chopped tomatoes
Large handful of basil leave (1tbsp dried if you can’t get fresh)
100g spinach
100g golden cherry tomatoes (or any tomato really!)
1 mozzarella ball
1tbsp & 5tps mascarpone
⁃ Start by bringing a pan of water to the boil and season with salt, cook your pasta for about 8 minutes or until al-dente (it’s important to not cook it fully at this point)
⁃ Preheat your oven to 180C fan.
⁃ Fry the onion on a medium heat until softened and transparent but not browning. Add the garlic, stir together and then stir in the tomato purée.
⁃ Add the tinned tomatoes & basil, once your pasta is cooked drain the water but keep it enough of the pasta cooking water to fill your empty tomato tin and add this to the sauce now. Now stir through the 1tbsp of mascarpone.
⁃ Add the spinach and tomatoes. Add the drained pasta to a baking dish and pour the sauce over the top and give it a little mix around. Tear the mozzarella on top and place the 5tsp of mascarpone around the top too.
⁃ Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until the cheese has melted.
⁃ (Optional) add a little fresh basil, spinach and golden tomatoes on top then serve.
Claudia's Home Kitchen 