Mediterranean Vegetable Pasta Bake

Frugal cooks plan ahead!  Buying out of season food like peppers, courgettes and tomatoes in January, when you only need half of each for a dish, is only really justifiable if you give them more than one outing.  As I’d bought them for the roasted vegetable medley I made yesterday I decided to make this lovely pasta bake to stretch them further.   

I added the second half of the sausage meatballs I made yesterday too, hubby doesn’t do vegetarian food! 

I was astounded at how far this stretched.  I had anticipated four serves, but I have in fact made enough for two small serves and four sensible portions! 

1 large or 2 medium onions

2 cloves of garlic

½ red pepper

½ green pepper

½ courgette

½ bulb of fennel

2 sticks of celery

1 carrot

2oz of thin green beans

Handful of black olives

1 large tin of tomatoes 

300g pasta 

Peel and dice the onion/s and carrot and sauté in 1tb of olive oil for 10 minutes.  While the onion is cooking dice the celery sticks and fennel and add to the pan, then de-seed and dice the peppers and courgette, and add those too, together with the crushed garlic.  Add the tin of tomatoes and season to taste.  Cut the green beans into short lengths and add those to the pan and then add the rinsed black olives. 

Cook for 20 minutes over a low heat so that all the flavours get a chance to cook together. 

Cook the pasta according to packet directions, I used a mix of regular and chilli penne – the chilli penne will add an interesting twist to the pasta bake. 

When the pasta is cooked drain and add to the sauce and mix well so that everything is evenly distributed. 

Spoon into your oven dishes and add a generous grating of parmesan cheese. 

I added the second half of the sausage meatballs from yesterday’s dish too.  If you want to make those the link for yesterday’s recipe is here: 

http://thehappyhousewife12.blogspot.com/2012/01/mediterranean-roast-vegetables-pasta.html 

Pop into the oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes at 200^oC (until the cheese is melted and golden). 

From cold it will need 30 – 35 minutes in one of these enamel dishes, slightly longer if you are using an earthenware dish.