Photo of Romesco-style pasta bake by WW

Romesco-style pasta bake

11
Points® value
Total Time
1 hr
Prep
10 min
Cook
50 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Who doesn’t love a pasta bake? This one has a red pepper sauce with a spicy kick.

Ingredients

Red pepper

4 medium

Cherry Tomatoes

600 g

Olive Oil

½ tablespoon(s)

Garlic

2 clove(s)

Chilli flakes

2 teaspoon(s), level, plus extra to serve

Basil, fresh

1 tablespoon(s)

White pasta, dry

300 g

Light Mozzarella

125 g

Instructions

  1. Heat the grill to high. Prick the skin of the peppers and tomatoes all over with a small knife, then arrange on a large baking tray. Grill, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes until soft and slightly charred. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, cover with clingfilm and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin, seeds and stem. Slice one of the peppers and set aside.
  2. While the vegetables are grilling, cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes until just al dente, then drain, return to the pan and set aside.
  3. Put the 3 whole peppers and all of the grilled tomatoes into a food processor. Add the oil, garlic, chilli flakes and torn basil, season to taste and blitz until smooth. Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6.
  4. Add the pepper and tomato sauce to the pan with the pasta and stir to combine. Put half the mixture in a 22cm x 22cm deep baking dish, then top with half of the mozzarella and half of the sliced pepper. Layer the remaining pasta, mozzarella and sliced pepper, then bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve topped with the extra basil and chilli flakes.

Notes

Make sure to check the mozzarella packaging, as not all brands are vegetarian. The pasta bake can be frozen for up to 1 month, unbaked and wrapped in foil in the baking dish. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then bake as in step 4.