Summery Pasta Bake

Hi everyone, I know we had a short heatwave that turned into a storm of showers but this recipe is good for summer and winter so we can call it a summter recipe. On a rainy day like today there is nothing more that I like than a bowl of pasta full of delicious ingredients.

For this recipe you will need:

250g (about half a bag) of pasta (I tend to use Fusilli or Penne Pasta)

2 tablespoons of Tomato Puree

3 Salad Tomatoes (chopped into quarters)

2 Bell Peppers (chopped into chunks)

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1 courgette (peeled into strips)

40g Frozen or Fresh Peas

1 tin of Chopped Tomatoes

2 teaspoons of Mixed Herbs

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 chopped Chilli (optional)

Method:

1. In a pan, heat some oil and add the chopped onions briefly cooking them on a low heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile par cook the bell peppers, peas and salad tomatoes.

3. In a pot, cook the pasta (I boil the kettle to speed up the process) and add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drain the bell peppers, peas, and salad tomatoes, add them back to the pot and add 1 tin of chopped tomatoes.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and the par cooked onions into the pot stirring until combined. Gently heat the sauce on a low heat.

6. Add seasoning to taste.

7. Once the pasta is cooked, drain well and add to the pot of sauce.

8. Take the pasta and its sauce off the heat, add the sliced courgette and chopped chilli (optional).

9. Put the pasta mixture into a deep dish, grate some cheese on top and put into the oven for 20-30 minutes at 180°C/356F/Gas Mark 4. Once cooked serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Lily