Tomato and mozzarella pasta bake recipe

This tomato and mozzarella pasta bake is a tasty mid-week meal that will easily feed a family of four.

Our delicious tomato and mozzarella pasta bake is quick, easy to make and incredibly cheap - using your basic cupboard supplies of penne pasta, tinned tomatoes and dried herbs with a spare onion and a packet of mozzarella. Simply cook your pasta, create and add to your rich, thick tomatoey sauce and chuck in to finish off in the oven with a lovely mozzarella top layer. This classic Italian dish is ready in just half an hour.

Ingredients

• 300g (11oz) penne pasta
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 400g can good-quality chopped tomatoes
• 1tbsp tomato purée
• 150ml (1/4pt) vegetable stock
• 2tsp dried mixed herbs
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 125g (4 1/2oz) mozzarella cheese, sliced

To serve:

• Salad, crusty wholegrain bread

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
2. Cook the penne according to the pack instructions, drain and set aside.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 5 mins, until the onion has softened.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, stock and herbs and season with black pepper. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 mins, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the cooked penne to the tomato sauce, mix together then transfer to an oven-proof dish. Top with the sliced mozzarella and bake in the oven for 10 mins until the cheese has melted.
6. Serve the pasta bake with salad and crusty wholegrain bread.

Tips for making tomato and mozzarella pasta bake:

You can add loads of other ingredients to this dish too, depending on what your family like. Try sneaking some veggies into the mix for the kids. Good combos include chicken and mushrooms, tuna and sweetcorn or turkey and broccoli.

You might also like...

• 
  
• Cheesy mince pasta bake
• 
  
• Chicken and tomato pasta bake 
• 
  
• Joe Wicks' bacon and cauliflower pasta bake
•