We love a versatile, easy and delicious meal, which is why this cheesy vegetable pasta bake could be your next favourite go-to for weeknights and weekends alike. Fragranced with additions of parsley, olive oil, a variety of cheeses and vegetable stock, the baked dish definitely does not lack in flavour despite being wholly vegetarian!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 4 small (240 g) baby eggplants cut into 1 cm slices
- 200 g Swiss brown mushrooms, quartered
- 750 g jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
- 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock
- 300 g short pasta (such as pipe rigate, elbows, shells, penne)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup (40 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 200 g bocconcini, drained
Steps
Preheat the oven to 220 C/200 C fan-forced.
Add the pasta sauce and stock; cook; stirring occasionally for 10 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender; drain.
Add the pasta, parsley and half the parmesan to the tomato sauce mixture; mix well.
Spoon mixture into a shallow 2.5 litre (10 cups capacity) ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the top with torn pieces of bocconcini and the remaining parmesan. Bake for about 20 mins or until browned.
Serve with rocket salad, if desired.