Cherry Tomato, Spinach and Garlic Mozzarella Pasta Bake Recipe
A really simple mozzarella and spinach pasta bake that doesn’t take hundreds of pots and pans to make and looks impressive when served at the dinner table. Make this garlicky, cheesy pasta bake with spinach and refreshing bursts of ripe cherry tomatoes in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 400 g dried rigatoni
- 25 g salted butter (plus a little to grease the dish)
- 350 g fresh cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
- 200 g fresh spinach
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g fresh mozzarella (vegetarian if required, torn into inch pieces)
- 100 g grated/shredded cheddar cheese (vegetarian if required)
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 20 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 30 g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese alternative (finely grated)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F / 160C fan.
- 2
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water for just 5 minutes until softening but still very firm. They'll finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- 3
Put the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and melt.
- 4
Add the cherry tomatoes, chilli flakes, garlic and a pinch of pepper and fry for 2 minutes until soft.
- 5
Add the fresh spinach and fry for a further 2 minutes until wilted.
- 6
Add the semi-cooked pasta, cheddar and mozzarella and toss together until evenly mixed.
- 7
Tip into a greased roasting tin.
- 8
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and a pinch of pepper.
- 9
Sprinkle evenly all over the pasta.
- 10
Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
- 11
Serve immediately.
Cook it from the original
This recipe comes from amummytoo.co.uk. Their page has the author’s own photos, notes and tips — the best place to cook it from.
Open the recipe on amummytoo.co.uk