Lunch · Dinner · Italian

Tomato & mozzarella pasta al forno

Name: Tomato & mozzarella pasta al forno
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 Brown onion; 3 cloves Garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp Olive oil; 1 tsp Dried oregano; 1 tbsp Tomato purée; 2 tins Chopped tomatoes; 500g Passata; 30g Fresh basil; 400g Penne; 2 balls Mozzarella; 40g Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated

Baked penne with pockets of melting mozzarella hidden all the way through, not just on top.

Start to finish: 1 hr 15 min
Hands-on: 24 min
In the fridge: 3 days
Freezes: Yes

VegetarianContains gluten, dairy

Ingredients

4 portions

1Brown onion
3 clovesGarlic, crushed
2 tbspOlive oil
1 tspDried oregano
1 tbspTomato purée
2 tinsChopped tomatoes
500gPassata
30gFresh basil
400gPenne
2 ballsMozzarella
40gItalian-style hard cheese, finely grated

Plus salt, pepper and water.

Method

1
Finely chop the onion and crush the garlic.
2
Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion gently for 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, oregano and purée for a minute.
10 min, mostly hands-off
3
Add the chopped tomatoes, passata, the finely chopped basil stalks and a pinch of salt. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Season well.
22 min, mostly hands-off
4
Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan) and bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the penne for 3 minutes less than the packet says, usually about 8 minutes, and drain.
15 min, mostly hands-off
5
Tear the basil leaves into the sauce and stir in the penne. Tip half into a baking dish and dot with half the mozzarella, torn into pieces. Add the rest of the pasta, then the rest of the mozzarella and the grated cheese.
6
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and golden at the edges.
25 min, mostly hands-off
7
Leave to settle for 5 minutes before serving, or cool and portion into tubs for the fridge or freezer.

On the day

Reheat until piping hot in the middle, in the microwave or covered with foil in the oven. A green salad with a sharp dressing alongside.

Cook’s tip

Cook the pasta 3 minutes short. It keeps drinking the sauce in the oven, and again when you reheat, so it comes out tender rather than soft.