A Pasta Bake fit for a King
- Becca Wilson
- Sep 14, 2017
- 2 min read
Pasta Bake with Green Veg and a Pesto Crumb. Mmm...another mouthful right?
As you may have gathered from my previous posts, I LOVE pasta. Back in Edinburgh, pasta bake was a regular occurrence in our kitchen, with varying vegetables, cheeses and sauces. Whatever the combination, I always loved a good cheesy pasta bake on a cold night. Last night, now that it's getting colder (I really don't want to give up my sandals booooo), pasta bake seemed like a great choice. I still had some of the green pesto I made on Sunday so I thought that would go well with a primavera style mix of vegetables for the bake. I also wanted to mix it up a little, and I thought a pesto crumb on top might just do that.
Something you'd like to try? Here's the recipe for this pasta goodness:
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
500g pack gluten free penne
2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
herbs - rosemary and oregano
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, finely chopped
3 courgettes, chopped
250g mushrooms, chopped
tin of garden peas (I think petis pois would have been nicer)
60ml pot crème fraîche
35g mozzarella
190g homemade green pesto (see recipe in previous post)
25g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), finely grated
small bunch basil, reserve a few leaves for garnishing
150g gluten free Schar ciabatta (3 rolls)
handful toasted pine nuts, plus a few extra for sprinkling
Method:
Slightly undercook the pasta, then drain, reserving a ladleful of cooking water. Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool. Drain again, toss in a little oil to stop it sticking together and set aside while you get the rest of the bake ready.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the garlic and onion, season with oregano and rosemary, cook for 2 mins then add the courgettes, peas and mushrooms. Cook for 10 mins, then season well and add to the pasta. Stir in most of the crème fraîche, the pesto and half the parmesan with seasoning, then tip into an ovenproof dish. Dollop the rest of the crème fraîche over the top (we ended up mixing 25g mozzarella and rosemary/oregano with the crème fraîche).
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 or use top right Aga oven. Whizz the basil, remaining parmesan cheese, bread and pine nuts together to make pesto crumbs, then scatter all over the top. Finish with a few more pine nuts. Bake for 20 mins until the topping is crisp and bubbling at the edges.
While the pasta was in the oven, I wilted some black kale on the hob with a little water.
Done!
It was gooooood. I think it went down well. The bake would also be 'fit for a king' without the crumb, but the crumb makes it extra special. I would also like to try using Quorn pieces in with the bake, and also try adding asparagus and spinach to the mix.
x gf v x
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