Pasta and baked beans

The idea of pasta and baked beans together in a single dish might sound strange, but it actually works incredibly well in this flavourful, mozzarella-topped pasta bake.

The recipe starts with a simple soffritto, made by frying carrot, onion, celery and garlic until soft to give a lovely flavourful base to the dish. If you're in a hurry, you needn't finely chop the veg - you can grate it!

From there, it's a super speedy affair. You'll add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, paprika and 200ml water and set the whole thing to simmer while you boil the pasta.

Adding the baked beans to this easy pasta bake not only adds protein and texture, it also adds a whole new depth of flavour thanks to the herbs and spices in the sauce that comes with can of beans.

Once your fusilli is al dente, you'll drain it, stir it into the sauce and then transfer the whole thing to a baking dish. Cover with grated mozzarella and fresh parsley and it's ready for the oven. 10 minutes baking and it's ready to serve!

You'll be amazed at how well pasta and baked beans go together. Let's get cooking!

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan).

Warm the oil in a pan over a medium heat. 

Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery.

Fry for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly until soft. 

Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, paprika and 200ml water. 

Bring to the boil then simmer for about 10 minutes. 

Put the pasta on to cook in plenty of boiling water. You want it to slightly undercook, so aim for about 8 minutes. 

When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the sauce. 

Fold through. 

Transfer your pasta and baked beans mixture to a greased roasting tray. 

Cover with the mozzarella.

Scatter the parsley on top along with plenty of black pepper.

Bake for 10 minutes until bubbling.

Serve and enjoy.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect pasta and baked beans

Is pasta and baked beans easy to make?

Yes, this recipe is super easy to make.

You'll grate your veg, which saves time otherwise spent finely chopping them, and then you'll sweat them down before chucking in the beans, tomatoes and spices and letting the whole thing simmer while you boil the pasta.

Then it's just a case of mixing the sauce and pasta together, pouring it into a roasting tray and covering with mozzarella and a little fresh pasta before baking for 10 minutes - just long enough tidy up and lay the table!

Will I need any special equipment to make pasta and baked beans?

You won't need anything you wouldn't find in the average kitchen to make this pasta and baked beans dish.

Just grab:

• Weighing scales
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring jug
• Grater
• Kitchen knife (if you haven't got a grater)
• Chopping board
• 2 medium saucepans (one for the sauce and one for the pasta)
• Wooden spoon
• Medium roasting tray

Is pasta and baked beans suitable for vegetarians?

Yes, this recipe for pasta and baked beans is suitable for vegetarians as it contains no meat, fish or poultry.

Check the ingredients on the labels of everything you use to be sure.

Is pasta and baked beans suitable for vegans?

Pasta and baked beans isn't suitable for vegetarians as there is mozzarella on the top of the bake. However, if you leave this out, or switch it for a vegan cheese brand, then the recipe easily becomes vegan.

Check the ingredients on the labels of everything you use to be sure.

Is pasta and baked beans gluten-free?

This recipe is not gluten free as it contains wheat based pasta. However, you could easily make gluten free pasta and baked beans by using a gluten-free dried pasta.

Be sure to check the labels of everything you use to be sure it's gluten-free. Not every brand of baked beans is gluten-free.

Is pasta and baked beans keto-friendly?

This recipe is high in carbohydrate and so not suitable for a keto diet.

Is pasta and baked beans healthy?

This recipe is contains about 417 calories, 55g carbohydrates, 20g of protein, 14g fat (6g saturated fat, 6g fibre and just 3g sugar (estimated values - brands vary).

As such, it's a good meal that can be enjoyed as part of a wider, varied, balanced diet, rich in a variety of veg.

Is pasta and baked beans suitable to eat while pregnant?

There is nothing in this recipe that would usually pose a risk to pregnant people, as long as all the ingredients are in good condition and the pasta is prepared hygienically and cooked thoroughly. 

Be sure to use pasteurised dairy (most brands are, but it's a good idea to check, as the NHS explains).

Whenever cooking for at-risk groups like a pregnant person, small children, or older people it's particularly important to practice good food hygiene, especially with a recipe like this that isn't being cooked. The Food Standards Agency has some helpful information and guidance on their website if you want to check best practices and brush up on your skills.

If you have any concerns or questions please speak to a qualified health professional as A Mummy Too does not give medical advice.

Is pasta and baked beans suitable for babies and toddlers?

This recipe is suitable for toddlers over 1 year.

It is a great source of protein from the beans. Make sure not to add any salt to the dish ad use no-added salt beans, if you can.

Always give food at an appropriate size and shape for your baby or child. Cut small, round foods, like grapes and cherry tomatoes, into small pieces.

Always keep babies supported upright while eating and supervise your baby when they’re eating in case they start to choke.

The NHS has some great advice on what to feed young children. If you are unsure, check with your health professional. This website does not give medical advice.

What goes well with pasta and baked beans?

This is a lovely hearty dish that would go well with a light salad and steamed greens.

Can I make this recipe without the vegetables?

You can skip the soffritto (the grated carrot, onion, celery and garlic) if you like and just simmer the tomatoes and other ingredients into a sauce, but it won't have as much flavour, or the same nutritional content.

I'd recommend against skipping it - it's well worth it for the taste!

I haven’t got baked beans can I use canned beans in water/brine?

You could use drained canned beans of any kind (borlotti, butter beans, kidney beans) but since they not in a sauce, they won't bring as much flavour or moisture to the dish. As such, you'd probably need to double the quantity of tomatoes, veggies and paprika.

Can I add extra baked beans to this recipe?

Yes, you could add another can of baked beans to this recipe. It will make the whole dish more saucy, and of course, increase the beans to pasta ratio, but if that's what you fancy then go right ahead. You might need a bigger tray!

How should I store pasta and baked beans? Can I keep pasta and baked beans in the refrigerator?

Yes, your pasta should be kept in the refrigerator.

Once cooled and within two hours of making, transfer the pasta and baked beans to a suitably sized sealed container and place in the fridge.

Can I leave pasta and baked beans out on the counter?

You can leave this pasta and baked beans dish out on the counter while you serve and eat but it's important to get it cooled, transferred into a suitable container and placed in the refrigerator within 2 hours of making. This helps avoid unsafe levels of bacterial growth.

Can I make pasta and baked beans ahead?

Personally, I think pasta is best enjoyed fresh, so I'd recommend making the sauce a day ahead, if needed, but waiting until near serving time to make the pasta, mix it with the reheated sauce and bake.

However, you could certainly make the whole thing in advance if you like.

Get to the stage of adding the pasta to the roasting dish, allow it to cool before adding the grated mozzarella, then cover the whole dish well with foil and place in the fridge for up to a day before switching to the oven and baking. Bear in mind it'll be cooking from cold, so will need more time to bake - perhaps 20-25 minutes.

Can I freeze pasta and baked beans?

Yes, you can freeze pasta and baked beans. Once cooled, your pasta and baked beans should be transferred to a suitably sized sealed container and placed in the freezer.

Aim to have as little empty space in your container as possible without squashing the pasta. This will help avoid freezer burn.

How long does pasta and baked beans keep?

When properly stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, your pasta and baked beans should keep for 3-5 days. I the freezer, it will keep for about 2 months. Don't forget to write the date on your container.

The texture of the pasta may change during storage, depending on how it is stored, how well baked it was, how much the sauce was reduced, and how long it has been stored.

What is the best way to reheat pasta and baked beans?

From refrigerated, you can reheat your pasta in a pan on the stove or in a covered bowl in the microwave. You may wish to add a couple of tablespoons of water, or some extra pasta sauce, to loosen it up again.

However you reheat your pasta, make sure it's piping hot all the way through before serving. Don't reheat your leftovers more than once.

What is the best way to defrost pasta and baked beans?

If you have frozen your leftover pasta and baked beans, the best thing to do is transfer the container to the fridge so that it can defrost overnight and then be heated in a pan on the stove or in a covered bowl in the microwave.

If you are in a hurry and want to cook from frozen, this is possible, but you need to be gentle as bashing the pasta around while it is still frozen will cause it to fall apart.

If possible, use the defrost setting on your microwave, or place in a pan with a splash of water, replace the lid and heat on the lowest possible setting until defrosted before gently turning up the heat and stirring until piping hot.

Don't reheat your leftovers more than once and do not refreeze thawed leftovers.

Can I make pasta and baked beans in a different quantity?

Yes, you can easily amend the quantities for this recipe to make more or less pasta and baked beans.

All you need to do is scroll down to the bottom of this page where you will find the recipe card. On the card is a number of servings, simply click or hover over this and a little slider will appear which you can move to change the amount the recipe makes. This automatically updates the quantities for all the ingredients then you're ready to go.

If you're making a lot of pasta, you will of course need bigger saucepans and a bigger oven tray, and you may find it takes a bit longer in the oven.

Can I make this recipe without an oven?

You could skip the baking stage in the recipe if you like, and just serve the pasta and baked beans straight from the pot with cheese scattered on top.

Baking does add a lovely dimension to the flavour and texture, though, so is well worth doing if you have time.

How can I make sure my pasta and baked beans is perfectly cooked?

It's important to simmer rather than boil your sauce. Simmering means there are a few bubbles popping and disappearing gently on the top. If the bubbles are appearing and bursting ferociously, your sauce is probably boiling, which will mean over 10 minutes it'll probably be thicker than is desirable.

Try not to overcook pasta. It gets a little more cooking time in the oven, so in the pot it doesn't need more than 8 minutes.

Aim to cook your pasta bake in the centre of the oven, that way heat should be able to reach it evenly.

Why did my pasta and baked beans turn out dry/hard/burned?

When the pasta comes out of the pot, it should be just ever so slightly underdone with just a touch of chalkiness that will cook out during baking. If it's crunchy, it needs longer in the pot!

If you boil the sauce down too much, it won't lend much moisture to the final dish. If your sauce seems dry, you can add a splash of pasta water in with the pasta to loosen it up to the desired degree.

Finally, don't over bake your dish. The pasta and sauce will already be hot from the pan, so just give the dish about 10 minutes to melt the cheese. If your oven if running hot, it might not even need the full 10 minutes.

Why did my pasta and baked beans turn out wet/soft?

First, don't overcook your pasta. It needs to be ever so slightly underdone with just a touch of chalkiness that will cook out during baking, so if the pack says 10-12 minutes, aim for more like 8.

Don't forget to simmer your sauce down so that the flavour intensifies and the sauce thickens. Otherwise, you'll get a looser and less flavoursome sauce.

How can I add/change the flavours in this dish?

This dish has a smokiness from the paprika but not much heat. If you'd like to make it spicy, you could add freshly chopped red chilli in with the veggies, or chilli powder in with the paprika.

You could also try adding a little cumin or garam masala in with the vegetables for a sort of curried flavour.

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