Baked pasta with vegetables

Name: Baked pasta with vegetables
Ingredients: 2500 ml water for the pasta; 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 300 g short pasta; 1/2 bell pepper (75 g); 2 garlic cloves; 4 green onions; 200 g cherry tomatoes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 100 ml water; 4 tablespoons tomato juice; 1/2 teaspoon Knorr seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper; 1 teaspoon sugar (optional); 100 g parmesan; 10 g fresh basil

Pasta/Pizza - Baked pasta with vegetables by Isabela H. - Recipia

Baked pasta with vegetables holds its texture better when made with short pasta and bakes for ten minutes at 200°C. The tomato sauce with bell pepper and green onions brings the pasta together, and the parmesan browns on top. I serve it while the parmesan is still soft, before it sets in the baking dish. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 43 minutes. Total time: 58 minutes. Serves: 4. About 450 kcal and 20 g of protein per serving.

Ingredients

2500 ml water for the pasta
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
300 g short pasta
1/2 bell pepper (75 g)
2 garlic cloves
4 green onions
200 g cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
100 ml water
4 tablespoons tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon Knorr seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
100 g parmesan
10 g fresh basil

Preparation

1. Bring 2500 ml of water to a boil. When it boils, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the pasta; cook for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, then drain. 2. Wash the bell pepper, remove the seeds and finely chop it. Chop the green onions and peeled garlic. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. 3. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and bell pepper with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and sauté for 3 minutes, until the pepper starts to soften. Add the green onions and tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. 4. Pour in 100 ml of water and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the tomato juice, Knorr seasoning and pepper; if the sauce tastes tart, add the sugar too. Simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened. 5. Put the drained pasta in a baking dish lined with parchment paper and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle over the parmesan and basil leaves, then bake at 200°C for 10 minutes, until the parmesan starts to brown.

Notes

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days; when reheating, a tablespoon of water helps loosen the sauce. A simple green salad is enough on the side. Check the cooking time on the package, since tubular pasta and spirals can take different amounts of time, and they soften more in the oven. Ripe but still firm cherry tomatoes hold their shape in the sauce; very soft ones break down faster. If the tomato juice is sour, taste the sauce before adding sugar. I don’t rush the sauce as it reduces: too much liquid collects under the pasta in the baking dish. If you need the meal ready at a set time, the sauce can simmer while the pasta cooks, and the dish can go in the oven close to serving time. Gluten-free pasta can replace regular pasta in the same amount, using the cooking time on the package; parmesan contains dairy, and regular pasta contains gluten.

Frequently asked questions

Which pasta holds the sauce well?

Fusilli or penne hold the sauce well. Cook them for 2 minutes less than the time on the package, then finish baking them in the dish.

Can I use regular tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes?

Yes. Cut them into cubes of about 2 cm; the flesh will cook in the sauce, so there’s no need to halve them.

What should I do if the sauce is still watery?

Simmer it for another 3 minutes before pouring it over the pasta. It should coat a spoon, not run like water.

Why did the pasta get too soft?

It was probably cooked for too long before going in the oven. For very small pasta, reduce the cooking time by 2 minutes from the time on the package.

Can I use mozzarella instead of parmesan?

Yes, use 100 g of grated mozzarella and add it in the last minute of baking, just long enough to melt without releasing much liquid.