Name: Cherry tomato, spinach and garlic mozzarella pasta bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 -6
Ingredients: 400 g dried rigatoni; 350 g cherry tomatoes (a small box); 200 g frozen spinach (1 1/2 handfuls); 2 tsp mince garlic; 1-2 tsp chilli flakes; 2-3 tbsp olive oil; 250 g fresh mozzarella (1 large pack); 100 g cheddar (a couple of handfuls); seasoning to taste; a oven proof casserole dish or roasting tray

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Here’s a really simple mozzarella pasta bake that doesn’t take hundreds of pots and pans to make and looks impressive when served at the dinner table. A garlicky, cheesy pasta bake with spinach and refreshing bursts of ripe cherry tomatoes.

Here’s how to make this mozzarella pasta bake.

Ingredients

400 g (14 oz) dried rigatoni
350 g (12.5 oz) cherry tomatoes (a small box)
200 g (7 oz) frozen spinach (1 1/2 handfuls)
2 tsp mince garlic
1-2 tsp chilli flakes
2-3 tbsp olive oil
250 g (9 oz) fresh mozzarella (1 large pack)
100 g (3.5 oz) cheddar (a couple of handfuls)
seasoning to taste
a oven proof casserole dish or roasting tray

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F / 160C fan.
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente.
Grease the oven dish with a little olive oil and add the drained pasta.
Blast the spinach in the microwave for a couple of minutes until fully defrosted, then press in a sieve or colander to remove the excess moisture and add to the dish.
Add the cherry tomatoes whole but squeezed as they go in to release the juice, then tear the mozzarella into inch pieces and add that too.
Add the garlic and chilli flakes, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil and toss gently to evenly distribute the ingredients and season well with salt and pepper.
Top with the grated cheddar.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden in places.
Serve hot while all the cheese is deliciously stringy – be careful, the tomatoes will be VERY hot inside.

Here’s the recipe for this cherry tomato, spinach and garlic mozzarella pasta bake again in a printable format.

Cherry tomato, spinach and garlic mozzarella pasta bake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: -6

Author: Emily Leary

Deliciously stringy, garlicy, cheesy pasta bake.

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Metric - Ounces

Ingredients

400 g dried rigatoni
350 g cherry tomatoes (a small box)
200 g frozen spinach (1 1/2 handfuls)
2 tsp mince garlic
1-2 tsp chilli flakes
2-3 tbsp olive oil
250 g fresh mozzarella (1 large pack)
100 g cheddar (a couple of handfuls)
seasoning to taste
a oven proof casserole dish or roasting tray

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F / 160C fan.
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water until al dente.
Grease the oven dish with a little olive oil and add the drained pasta.
Blast the spinach in the microwave for a couple of minutes until fully defrosted, then press in a sieve or colander to remove the excess moisture and add to the dish.
Add the cherry tomatoes whole but squeezed as they go in to release the juice, then tear the mozzarella into inch pieces and add that too.
Add the garlic and chilli flakes, then drizzle with the remaining olive oil and toss gently to evenly distribute the ingredients and season well with salt and pepper.
Top with the grated cheddar.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden in places.
Serve hot while all the cheese is deliciously stringy - be careful, the tomatoes will be VERY hot inside.

* Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published.

Course: Pasta meals

Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: cherry tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella, pasta, pasta bake

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Enjoy! What will you serve with your mozzarella pasta bake?