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Rich Tomato & Roast Vegetable Pasta Bake

Rich Tomato & Roast Vegetable Pasta Bake

I've made this tomato and roast vegetable pasta bake a few times recently. I had no idea if it would work. I roasted the vegetables in a roasting pan, then added the tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and seasoning, then I mixed in the uncooked pasta and popped it in the oven?

The first time, I had major doubts while it was cooking. I was thinking "Oh shoot maybe I should have cooked the pasta first!". There are lots of one-pot pasta dishes online, but they are made in a pot. Would it really work in the oven?

A rich pasta bake that is so easy to make. The whole dish is made in a roasting pan.Only 336 calories per portion for the most delicious pasta bake that everyone will love. Suitable for vegans and great for the 5:2 diet.


It worked!

Soft, but firm pasta in a rich sauce with so much flavour and a great boost to our vegetable intake for the day.

Graham and I loved it. Cooper said he loved it, but examining his bowl, there was a suspicious amount of veg left. Still he'll have eaten some of the vegetables and spinach never seems to worry him in a pasta dish, so it's still a win.


Cover the pasta bake with foil


The second time I made this pasta bake, I covered the tray in foil before placing it in the oven and that's good if you don't want too many crusty bits. I know crusty bits are good, but I didn't like too many crusty bits of pasta poking through the sauce. This may be heaven in your world, so I'll let you decide.

To foil or not to foil, that is the question!


Vegetarian option


If you're veggie you could top it with some crumbled feta or some fresh mozzarella and whip the foil off for the last 15-20 minutes cooking. I was making this as a vegan dish, so I didn't bother and it has such a rich flavour it didn't need it. However I did grate some vegan Parmesan into a bowl to serve at the table.




I love roasting pan bakes like this. They're so easy and the taste always seems to be amplified with an oven bake. The roast vegetables really impart a lot of flavour.


Which vegetables to bake?


I baked red and yellow bell peppers, red onion, a couple of large mushrooms left in the fridge and courgette, then added spinach when I added the sauce and the pasta. You could also add aubergine, sweet potato or butternut squash. Have a look in your fridge to see what you need to use up or what looks good (or is cheap) in the supermarket. 


More vegetable bakes


I have a few other bakes like this in my repertoire. Some are just roasted vegetables with chickpeas and spices added and in others I roast the vegetables with veggie sausages, then add a gravy or a tomato sauce like the one in this pasta bake. They're family pleasers and comfort food at it's best.


Nutrition and Calories


This bake serves 6 with 336 calories and 4g fat per portion. It's high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C and has a decent amount of protein and Iron with a small amount of calcium from the spinach.

This pasta bake would be perfect for the 5:2 diet.


Sticky Red Onion and Sausage Bake with Gravy (vegan)
 


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Rich Tomato & Roast Vegetable Pasta Bake
Rich Tomato & Roast Vegetable Pasta Bake
A rich pasta bake that is so easy to make. The whole dish is made in a roasting pan. First you roast the vegetables, then you add the sauce ingredients and dried pasta. Pop it in the oven, walk away and 40 mins later voila. The most delicious pasta bake that everyone will love. Suitable for vegans.
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 courgette, sliced
  • 2 bell peppers (red and yellow), chopped into large pieces
  • 2 large flat mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 red onions, peeled, halved and cut into wedges
  • 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 5 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 small glass red wine
  • 500ml hot vegetable stock (3 stock cubes)
  • 500g fresh spinach
  • 400g dried penne pasta
  • a good grinding of salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 220c/200c fan/425f/Gas 7. 2. Prepare the vegetables (not the spinach) and toss in olive oil, then spread out in a roasting pan.3. Roast for 20-25 mins until starting to brown at the edges.4. Add the tomatoes, puree, stock, wine spinach and seasoning and stir well.5. Mix in the pasta, then press down the pasta below the liquid, cover the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. 6. Serve with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan and a dressed green side salad. 7. Enjoy!
Details
Total prep time:
Nutrition facts per 6 servings:
336 calories
4 grams fat

Yield: Serves 6



Roast Vegetable, Veggie Sausage and Chickpea Bake

If you like my pasta bake, you may also like my Roast Vegetable, Veggie Sausage and Chickpea Bake. You'll also find a Creamy Vegetarian Sausage Pasta Bake over at Planet Veggie

33 comments

  1. Can you freeze this pasta bake 😃

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  2. I never personally freeze pasta. I pop leftovers in the fridge, but if you wanted to make this ahead and freeze in portions I'd say slightly undercook it as it will be reheated. I do think it's best fresh though. You could cut the quantities in half and make a smaller bake.

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  3. Wow, I would have never even thought to try it. That's so cool that you figured this out and that it really works!

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    1. I know it was a bit of serendipity to be sure, but I'm glad I know it works now. So easy!

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  4. Fantastic idea - I've tried a couple of one pot pastas with mixed results but love the concept - my biggest problem is making sure there is lots of veg and your bake really ticks the boxes with this - now that the weather is really cooling, I think this looks like a great weekend meal (and re Unknown above, I would free portions of this - have some pasta in my freezer at the moment)

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    Replies
    1. I haven't really tried one-pots other than cooking veg in with the pasta water, but I like the idea of them too. Ahhhh! Good to know re the freezer.

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  5. Pasta is my favorite, haha. This looks SO good! I love the flavor of roasted tomatoes!

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  6. great idea for a one pot meal and cutting down on dishes. It looks so flavorful

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    Replies
    1. I am a great fan of easy and less dishes. Definitely the less dishes.

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  7. I like the easy cook method here, adding the dried pasta as is is a great time saver, and the result looks so good.

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  8. I never would have thought to bake the pasta without parboiling it first. Good to know it works! This looks like a delicious meal.

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    Replies
    1. Well it was accidental for me the first time. It really works.

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  9. The color and vibrancy of this dish is truly amazing. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. I always thought you had to boil the pasta first and am intrigued how it cooks with such less liquid in the pan. I am going to try this recipe.

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    1. There is enough liquid to cover the pasta and the heat is cooking it too. Same as these self-saucing one-pot pasta dishes that have little liquid. I was relieved it worked the firs time and have make it twice since.

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  11. This looks delicious! I love one pot meals.

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  12. interesting that you can cook pasta without pre-boiling. It looks very rich

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  13. Adding uncooked pasta seems such a novel idea, but I guess it's not much different to using lasagne. I shall try this, it looks delishwash :)

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  14. I sometimes bake pasta without boiling it first too - if there is enough juice it works well, as your DELECTABLE recipe shows to its best! Looks fab Jac! Karen

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  15. Love all in one pasta and this oven version sounds delicious and great for your veg intake. Will be trying for sure. x

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  16. Sounds like just the kind of dish my family loves to eat!

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  17. I make something similar to this but I either use fresh tomatoes which are too squishy for salads and sarnies or passata. Oh, and stock instead of wine because amato mio is teetotal.

    I love how roasting really brings out the sweetness of the veggies. I also use grains instead of pasta sometimes, e.g. rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and that works really well too. Basically, if it can go in the oven, I'm all over it!

    Your recipe looks gorgeous, Jac - such wonderful comfort food!

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  18. This was such a wonderful inspiration for my slightly tweaked version of this recipe. So easy to make and such a warming, delicious dish! Will definitely be making this again. Thank you 😍

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x