Pesto Courgette Pasta Bake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the pasta for 1-2 mins less than the pack instructions say, so that it has a little more bite. Reserve a ladle of cooking water.
• Meanwhile, mix the pesto, crème fraîche and courgettes together. Add the pasta and stir well, adding a little of the reserved water to create a good sauce consistency. Taste and season.
• Tip the pasta and sauce into a baking dish and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake for 20 mins until the topping is crisp.

Steps:

• To make the pesto, mix basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan, cold water, heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a food processor for about 30 seconds. Add in olive oil. Process until combined, set aside.
• Cook fusilli to very al dente, or about 3-4 minutes before the package instructs for cook time, then drain pasta.
• Halve cherry tomatoes.
• In a skillet or casserole pan, mix fusilli, cherry tomatoes, and pesto.
• Top with grated parmesan and mozzarella balls.
• Bake at 400° Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes, or until mozzarella has melted.
• Garnish with additional parmesan and fresh basil. Serve immediately.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Slightly undercook the pasta, then drain, reserving a ladleful of cooking water. Rinse the pasta with cold water to cool. Drain again, toss in a little oil to stop it sticking together and set aside while you get the rest of the bake ready.
• Fry the courgettes in oil for about 10 mins to drive off most of the liquid; they should reduce down a lot. Add the garlic and onion to the pan, cook for 2 mins more, then season really well and add to the pasta. Stir in most of the crème fraîche and half the Parmesan with seasoning, then tip into an ovenproof dish. Dollop the rest of the crème fraîche over the top.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Whizz nearly all of the basil, remaining cheese, bread and pine nuts together to make pesto crumbs, then scatter all over the top. Finish with a few more pine nuts. Bake for 20 mins until the topping is crisp and bubbling at the edges. Serve with a few more basil leaves scattered over.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
• Put the pasta on to boil.
• Chop the bacon into pieces.
• Fry the onion and bacon in a pan for a minute or two.
• Add the courgette to the onion and bacon, fry for another couple of minutes until onion is soft.
• Add the pesto and tin of tomatoes then season.
• Mix together.
• Add to the drained pasta, combine thoroughly then pour into an ovenproof dish.
• Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan together and top the pasta with the mixture.
• Bake for 15 minutes until topping is golden.
• Serve.

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. Arrange the tomatoes and salmon over a baking tray, season and drizzle with half the oil. Grill for 10 mins until the salmon is cooked through and the tomatoes are juicy. Leave to cool.
• Cook the penne following pack instructions, until al dente. Add the broccoli for the final 2 mins of cooking time. Drain the pasta, reserving a large mugful of water.
• Return the pasta and broccoli to the pan, then stir in the pesto, mascarpone, half the tomatoes and enough of the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce to the consistency of double cream. Flake in the salmon, discarding the skin. Tip into a large baking dish, then mix the breadcrumbs with the parmesan and remaining oil, and scatter this over the mixture. Dot the rest of the tomatoes on top. If baking straightaway, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Or, cover and chill until you're ready to cook. Will keep chilled for up to 24 hours.
• Bake for 20 mins (or 25 mins from chilled) until the top is golden and crunchy.