Pasta-loving vegetarians, we’ve always got you in mind when we come up with new ideas in the kitchen. Not long ago we gave you three delicious veggie pasta recipes and now we’ve decided to open the oven door and pop in some pasta bakes. Want to know how they turned out? Read on…
Penne with mushrooms and dried tomato
To make this recipe you’ll need 250 g of dried tomatoes in olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, a handful of pine nuts, some extra-virgin olive oil, half an onion, 250 g of fresh mushrooms, 100 ml of vegetable stock and 200 ml of evaporated milk, béchamel sauce or single cream. First we’ll make a paste in the blender using the strained tomatoes, pine nuts, cloves of garlic and a little extra-virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste and put by. Meanwhile, gently fry the chopped onion and sliced mushrooms. When they’re ready, add the vegetable stock and then the tomato paste. Stir well. Cook the pasta al dente (it will cook more in the oven), strain and place in a baking dish. Spread the mushrooms, onions and tomato paste over the top, followed by a thin layer of evaporated milk, béchamel sauce or single cream. Grind some pepper on top and bake for 10 minutes.
Fusilli with cheese au gratin
A simple recipe where you can use your favourite vegetables and cheese (including vegan cheese, if you like). Spread a selection of your favourite sliced vegetables out on a baking tray: courgette, leek, onion, pumpkin, peppers and carrots, for example, would be a great combination. Throw in four or five ripe tomatoes, add salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil and bake. Once the vegetables are ready, give them a whiz in the blender to make a sauce—as smooth or chunky as you like—and add more salt if necessary. Mix the sauce with the pasta, place in a baking dish and grate some cheese on top. Bake for a few minutes and you’re good to go!
Vegetable farfalle with carrot sauce
For those of you who prefer to avoid all animal products, here’s a bake without any cheese, cream or béchamel sauce that uses breadcrumbs instead. You’ll need half a broccoli, some cherry tomatoes, 500 g of carrots, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, 2 cloves of garlic and 200 ml of almond milk. Boil the carrots in salted water for about 20 minutes until they’re soft. Strain and give them a whiz in the blender. Add the almond milk and nutmeg to taste. Meanwhile, break the broccoli into florets and boil for about 5 minutes. Strain, transfer to a frying pan and fry in olive oil with garlic. Add the cherry tomatoes, stir well and remove from the heat. Place the pasta in a baking dish, add the broccoli and tomatoes and mix together. Finally, add the carrot sauce and sprinkle the breadcrumbs all over the top to form a crust. Bake under the grill at about 200 ºC for a few minutes. Lovely!
