Casseroles taste good all year round. They are incredibly versatile and can be prepared with a wide variety of ingredients, be it with potatoes, pasta, meat, fish, or simply vegetables. But we personally prefer it with pasta and would like to show you our recipe for a Mediterranean pasta bake today. A hearty dish, this bake proves just how much vegetables can do and just how delicious they can be!
Meet Our Mediterranean Pasta Bake
The main ingredients for this casserole are pasta, tomatoes, onions and garlic. A nice spice blend and mozzarella will add a fragrant touch and unmistakable creaminess. The casserole is topped with plenty of cheese, olives and basil. The smell alone that comes out of the oven as this dish bakes will transport you to a trattoria on the beach. All without ever leaving the kitchen!
The preparation for this recipe is, typical for casseroles, relatively simple. Begin by parboiling the pasta in salted water. Meanwhil, using a bit of olive oil, fry the onion and garlic until transclucent and aromatic. Once they’re ready, add the tomato paste, pasta water and tomatoes. Finally, season the sauce and mix it with the pasta in a baking dish. Finally, add the mozzarella, dried tomatoes and basil. Top it all off with a layer of Parmesan and grated cheese as well as olives.
As always, you can omit individual ingredients or adjust them to your taste. If you’re not an olive fan, skip them altogether! If you love cheese, lean into it! The world is your oyster, and as it were, your casserole too.
Prepare our Mediterranean pasta bake for a quick weeknight dinner or a leisurely weekend meal. We promise, it always tastes good and creates a holiday feeling wherever you are.
If you’re hankering for more, take a look at our other bake recipes: Our zucchini cannelloni in tomato sauce, goat cheese mac and cheese, and chicken noodle casserole. You won’t be disappointed!
Mediterranean Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- ⅔ 1 lb. box of pasta (10.5 oz.)
- 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
- 1 red onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp spice mix of choice, e.g. Italian seasoning
- salt & pepper
- A dash paprika
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ ball of fresh mozzarella (8 oz.)
- ¼ cup dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 1⅓ cups grated cheese of choice
- grated Parmesan to taste
- olives to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Parboil the pasta in salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and reserve about ½ cup of pasta water. Set both aside.
- Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Oil the pan and fry both until transluscent and fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and briefly fry. Deglaze with the pasta water and canned tomatoes. Season the sauce with sugar and the other spices. Bring to a boil.
- Tear the mozzarella into small pieces. Chop the dried tomatoes. Wash and chop the basil. Save some basil leaves for later.
- Mix the sauce with the pasta and pour into a baking dish. Mix with the mozzarella, dried tomatoes and chopped basil.
- Finally, sprinkle with the grated cheese, Parmesan and olives and bake the for 10-15 minutes.
- Before serving, sprinkle some basil leaves on the pasta bake.