Summer Pasta Bake
Summer Pasta Bake
Plenty of pasta bakes can be quite heavy, based on rich, creamy sauces or meaty ragus, but this one is fresh and light, perfect for a midweek family supper.
It’s made with seasonal vegetables, here aubergines and tomatoes, but you could also add courgettes and spinach. Garlic, capers and basil pack it with flavour, and a mix of parmesan, breadcrumbs and almonds give it a crisp, tasty coating.
It’s a great “make-ahead” recipe, one that can be doubled to feed four — or just freeze half for another day.
I use conchiglie pasta — the one that looks like a seashell — but penne, rigatoni or fusilli all work just as well. Conchiglie have a ridged exterior but a smooth interior, which means the inside fills up when stirred in the sauce. Luckily, because of the ridges, sauce sticks to the outside as well — so every mouthful is delicious.
Keep it light by serving with a green leaf salad and summer herb dressing. Whisk together 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, 50ml white wine vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, another teaspoon of honey, and a tablespoon of finely chopped summer herbs — I use basil, flat leaf parsley and mint. Finish it off with a dash of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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