Easy Pasta Bake - great family dish
This is a recipe from my cookbook book The Practical Pocketbook Guide to Good Food for your Family. Use this basic recipe or add other ingredients to it, such as chicken or mince.
Pasta Bake – Serves 4
The main ingredients in this meal can be made ahead of time and assembled just before baking. This makes it an ideal meal for weekends or on week days when you get home late. You can roast any vegetables, the ones below are my favourite. If you need a quick fix, use 250g of broccoli and 350g cauliflower, and cook them while baking this dish. For additional flavour add herbs such as fresh parsley or dried oregano, and add some bacon or mince. Try mustard powder or paprika for extra punch!
4 cups fusilli pasta cooked
1 butternut roasted
4 each roasted carrots and courgettes
1 red onion roasted
1 cups homemade pasta sauce
1 cup white sauce
½ cup grated cheese
Cook the pasta in advance and store in the fridge. Roast the vegetables with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cool and chop. Place the pasta and vegetables in a baking dish or in 4 smaller baking dishes. Pour over the pasta sauce and top with the white sauce and grated cheese. Heat in the oven at 180C until hot.
Easy White Sauce
2T butter
2T flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper (optional)
1t chopped Italian parsley (optional)
Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Stir in the flour until incorporated into a thick paste. Slowly stir in the milk, a little at a time. Using a whisk, make sure the milk absorbs all the butter and flour each time you add it. This takes a little time, but is worth it for good texture of the sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce starts to thicken. Then add the cheese and stir until it has melted in. Continue stirring until the sauce is the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley. Serve hot.
Tip: when stirring the sauce to thicken make sure you stir the bottom of the pot, as well as the edges of the bottom, to avoid the sauce burning.
Pasta Bake – Serves 4
The main ingredients in this meal can be made ahead of time and assembled just before baking. This makes it an ideal meal for weekends or on week days when you get home late. You can roast any vegetables, the ones below are my favourite. If you need a quick fix, use 250g of broccoli and 350g cauliflower, and cook them while baking this dish. For additional flavour add herbs such as fresh parsley or dried oregano, and add some bacon or mince. Try mustard powder or paprika for extra punch!
4 cups fusilli pasta cooked
1 butternut roasted
4 each roasted carrots and courgettes
1 red onion roasted
1 cups homemade pasta sauce
1 cup white sauce
½ cup grated cheese
Cook the pasta in advance and store in the fridge. Roast the vegetables with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Cool and chop. Place the pasta and vegetables in a baking dish or in 4 smaller baking dishes. Pour over the pasta sauce and top with the white sauce and grated cheese. Heat in the oven at 180C until hot.
Easy White Sauce
2T butter
2T flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup grated cheese
salt and pepper (optional)
1t chopped Italian parsley (optional)
Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat. Stir in the flour until incorporated into a thick paste. Slowly stir in the milk, a little at a time. Using a whisk, make sure the milk absorbs all the butter and flour each time you add it. This takes a little time, but is worth it for good texture of the sauce. Continue stirring until the sauce starts to thicken. Then add the cheese and stir until it has melted in. Continue stirring until the sauce is the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley. Serve hot.
Tip: when stirring the sauce to thicken make sure you stir the bottom of the pot, as well as the edges of the bottom, to avoid the sauce burning.
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