Here’s a really simple mozzarella, tomato and spinach 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 (14.1 oz) dried rigatoni
- 25 g slightly salted butter plus a little to grease the dish
- 350 g (12.3 oz) cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 (2 tsp) garlic cloves minced
- 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
- 200 g (7.1 oz) fresh spinach
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g (8.8 oz) fresh mozzarella torn into inch pieces
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cheddar grated
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- 20 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 30 g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
Equipment
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F / 160C fan.
Boil the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water for just 5 minutes until softening but still very firm. They’ll finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
Put the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and melt.
Add the cherry tomatoes, chilli flakes, garlic and a pinch of pepper and fry for 2 minutes until soft.
Add the fresh spinach and fry for a further 2 minutes until wilted.
Add the semi-cooked pasta.
Add the cheddar and mozzarella and toss together until evenly mixed.
Tip all of the pasta into a greased roasting tin.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and a pinch of pepper.
Sprinkle evenly all over the pasta.
Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
Serve immediately.
Enjoy! What will you serve with your mozzarella pasta bake?
Print this recipe
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
Ingredients
- 400 g (14.1 oz) dried rigatoni
- 25 g slightly salted butter plus a little to grease the dish
- 350 g (12.3 oz) cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 (2 tsp) garlic cloves minced
- 1-2 tsp chilli flakes
- 200 g (7.1 oz) fresh spinach
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 250 g (8.8 oz) fresh mozzarella torn into inch pieces
- 100 g (3.5 oz) cheddar grated
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
- 20 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 30 g Parmesan or vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 355F / 160C fan.
- Boil the pasta in plenty of salted, boiling water for just 5 minutes until softening but still very firm. They'll finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- Put the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and melt.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, chilli flakes, garlic and a pinch of pepper and fry for 2 minutes until soft.
- Add the fresh spinach and fry for a further 2 minutes until wilted.
- Add the semi-cooked pasta, cheddar and mozzarella and toss together until evenly mixed.
- Tip into a greased roasting tin.
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan and a pinch of pepper.
- Sprinkle evenly all over the pasta.
- Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Pin this spinach and mozzarella pasta bake for later
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Lara says
Made this tonight. Delicious – thank you :)
Lauryna says
Doing this right now. Smells awesome and I think it’ll be delicious!
Sophie at Franglaise Cooking says
I love a good pasta bake and you can’t beat cherry tomatoes and mozzarella with pasta. Yummy! I’m sure the kids would love this.
Yet Another Blogging Mummy!!! says
Oh I must try this out. #recipeoftheweek
Emmys Mummy says
That looks AMAZING.
I think I’ll be trying this next week. Thank you
Kizzy says
Wow this si what I’m having for tea tonight
Kirsty says
There is something so satisfying about a pasta bake. I can almost smell the garlic, melted cheeses and spinach in your post. Your photography always makes food look unbelievably tempting. Have pinned to eat next week :-)
Fritha says
this looks delish! need to make this for my boys sometime, even fussy Wilf would gobble this down! x
Globalmouse says
Wow that looks delicious!! I think that’s a recipe that everyone in our family would enjoy eating!! Thank you for sharing!
Michelle says
Oh my, that looks lush!
mellissa williams says
this is exactly what my husband would eat, I will try this one out yummy!
Julie's Family Kitchen says
For some unknown reason I never make a pasta bake but now I will as this looks yummy.
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love all of these ingredients! This sounds soooo yummy :-) x
Emma (My Little 3 and Me) says
How lovely! You’ve got some of my favourite ingredients there…I need to come for dinner! x
[email protected] says
I could just eat that right now x x
Mummy of Two says
Scrummy! That looks delicious and definitely something that would be enjoyed by all of my family. So easy to make too!
jenny paulin says
amazing – just up my street apart from the tomatoes but i could swap for peppers instead maybe. yummy food and i ahve pinned this x
Andrea Mynard says
Looks gorgeous and such a fabulously easy family meal. My daughter loves pasta bakes, cherry tomatoes and this sort of dish is generally a great way to sneak spinach into her. On my list for midweek dinners.