3 Cheese Veg-Packed Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 300g penne pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 400g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 100g baby spinach
• 125g mozzarella, torn
• 40g mature Cheddar, grated
• 25g Parmesan, finely grated
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
2. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a mugful of pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan or saucepan. Cook the onion for 3–4 minutes until soft.
4. Add the garlic, pepper, courgette and mushrooms. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
5. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and Italian herbs. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 8–10 minutes.
6. Stir the spinach into the sauce and cook until wilted. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
7. Add the drained pasta and stir until evenly coated. Transfer everything to a baking dish if necessary.
8. Scatter over the mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top.
9. Leave the pasta bake to stand for 5 minutes before serving.