Cheese Vegetable Pasta

This hearty Cheese Vegetable Packed courgette Pasta Recipe doesn’t just have a rich tomato sauce, it’s layered with mozzarella, cheddar and Italian hard cheese for a tasty and wholesome midweek bake.

Cheese Vegetable Packed Pasta

Bammeke Oluwatobi

This hearty courgette pasta doesn't just have a rich tomato sauce, it's layered with mozzarella, cheddar and Italian hard cheese for a tasty and wholesome midweek bake.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 450 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 40g cheddar cheese †
• 2 garlic cloves125g cherry tomatoes
• 15ml balsamic vinegar †
• 150g tortiglioni †
• 125g mozzarella †
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 11g vegetable stock mix
• 20g Italian hard cheese †
• 16g tomato paste
• 210g canned finely chopped tomatoes
• 1 courgette
• 10g basil

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 240ºC/ 220ºC (fan)/ gas 9

  Boil a kettle

  Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic
• Add the tortiglioni to a pot of boiled water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 8-12 min or until cooked with a slight bite

  Once cooked, drain the tortiglioni

  Reboil half a kettle.
• While the pasta is cooking, top, tail and chop the courgette[s] into quarters lengthways, then slice finely

  Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

  Once hot, add the sliced courgette with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 min or until beginning to soften
• Meanwhile, dissolve the vegetable stock mix, dried basil, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and 1 tsp [2 tsp] sugar in 100ml [150ml] boiled water – this is your stock

  Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
• Once the courgette is beginning to soften, add the chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 30 secs

  Add the stock with the halved cherry tomatoes and chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil over a high heat

  Season with a generous grind of black pepper and cook for 3-4 min further
• Grate the cheddar cheese

  Drain the mozzarella, then pat and squeeze as much liquid out as you can with kitchen paper

  Tear the drained mozzarella into rough, bite-sized pieces

  Chop the basil finely, including the stalks

  Grate the Italian hard cheese.
• Add the drained tortiglioni to the sauce with the chopped basil (save some for garnish!) and mix it up

  Add half the pasta to an oven-proof dish, then top with the grated cheddar

  Top with the remaining pasta, torn mozzarella and grated Italian hard cheese and put the dish in the oven for 5-10 min or until all the cheese has melted – this is your 3 cheese veg-packed pasta bake

  Serve the 3 cheese veg-packed pasta bake topped with the reserved chopped basil and a grind of black pepper and enjoy!

Keyword 3 Cheese Veg-Packed Pasta Bake, Cheese, Pasta