Zuchini Tomato Pasta Bake Recipe
This pasta recipe is a nutritious and customizable dish, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a cozy get-together. Combining fresh zucchini, juicy tomatoes, al dente pasta, and bubbly cheese, it offers a vibrant summer flavor. The recipe is easy to follow, using ingredients like campanelle pasta, cherry tomatoes, Philadelphia cheese, and fresh mint. The dish is baked to perfection, resulting in a delightful, healthy meal that will quickly become a favorite. Enjoy the step-by-step guide to create this flavorful and wholesome summer dinner.
Equipment
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 middle pot
- 1 Small baking dish
- 1 mixing bawl
Ingredients
For tomato sauce:
- 1 cun Crushed tomatoes (Polpa)
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ½ Onion
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- ½ tsp Peperoncino (Chilli flakes)
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & ground pepper
For Pasta:
- 3 oz Short pasta, 1/5 box (100 g)
- 2-3 Zucchini, middle size (20 oz)
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes (150 g)
- 2 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar cream
- ½ cup Philadelphia cheese 4 oz (120 g)
- ¼ cup Grated pecorino cheese 1 oz (30 g)
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & ground pepper
For garnish:
- 1 tbsp Grated pecorino cheese
- Fresh mint
Instructions
Tomato sauce:
- Start with the sauce – the longer it cooks the better (at least half an hour). Put 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, half a onion peeled, and a few whole garlic cloves (peeled) in a saucepan.
- Season with dried oregano, salt, and peperoncino flakes to taste.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 40 minutes, remove and discard the onion. Crush the garlic with a spoon and stir.
Baked vegetables:
- Preheat oven to 400℉ / 200℃.
- Meanwhile, cut the zucchini into thick slices. If you have very large vegetables it is best to take out and discard the core and seeds.
- In a bowl, mix the sliced zucchini with salt, pepper, dried oregano, 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar cream
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
- In a separate bowl, mix the tomatoes with the sugar, salt, pepper, dried oregano, 1/2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar cream
- Place all the vegetables on a baking tray and send to seal for 20 minutes. Ideally, bake with the grill on or put it on the highest oven level.
Pasta:
- When the vegetables are in the oven - put the water for the pasta. When the water boils - add salt and dry pasta. Cook until al dente or one minute less than the time indicated on the package.
- In a baking dish, combine the pasta, sauce, and vegetables, leaving some of the vegetables for decoration.
- Sprinkle with a layer of grated pecorino cheese.
- Using a spoon, spread the balls of Philadelphia cheese. It is better not to try to spread the cheese, but to do it already on the plate.
- Decorate with the remaining vegetables and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Or until the top becomes nicely crispy.
Serving:
- Arrange the pasta on plates, making sure to spread the cheese evenly. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino cheese.
- Chop the fresh mint and sprinkle it over the pasta already on the plates. If you are cooking in a large mold and plan to store leftovers, don't add mint ahead of time. Instead, add it in batches to each plate after reheating.
Video
Notes
Baking dish notes: I used a particular shaped baking dish. The measures of mine are 11″W x 4.7″D x 2.7″H. This size is an ideal option for two. If yours is a larger, more standard one, you can just double or triple the ingredients!