Creamiest Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake

Creamy, cheesy, quick and easy vegetable pasta bakes are all we’re eating right now. And this one is the best on the block. It’s creamy and full of roasted mushrooms and golden sweet onions and topped with enough mozzarella cheese to create the perfect golden bubbling layer of cheesy heaven. And of course, all ingredients are available at Aldi UK. ♥

Okay. You know it’s true. Your love of a pasta bake is almost equal to the love you have for your family, kids, pets… the most important thing in your life. Well… same. So I’m bringing you the cosiest, most comforting (and easiest) pasta bake that the internet has to offer. (Bold statement, I know).

But golden pan-roasted mushrooms meet sticky, sweet caramelised onions and they take a little bath in some cream and a hit of bright fresh parsley. I won’t even mention the possibility of adding a little white wine because I will fall right over the edge.

Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake
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So, let’s just get straight to it, shall we?

Ingredients needed for Creamy Vegetable Pasta Bake

1. Pasta
2. Mushrooms
3. Onions
4. Garlic
5. Cream
6. Cheese (preferably mozzarella)
7. Butter or margarine and some olive oil

Step by step for making this easy pasta bake Step 1 & 2

• Quarter the mushrooms and slice the onions into half-moon slices. You can use a mandolin for the onions to make it faster and easier.
• Heat some butter and oil in a pan and let the butter melt. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden brown. Remove them to a bowl and add a little more oil and butter. Add the onions to the pan and let them slowly caramelise over medium-low heat. It will seem like a fantastic amount of onions, but they are mostly water and will shrink by 2/3rds as they cook.
• This can also take a little while (about 30 minutes) so you’ll need to be patient, but, not only is it worth it, there really isn’t anything that you need to do. This is a hands-off situation.

Step 3 & 4

• Once your onions are sufficiently golden and caramelised you can pour in the cream and add the mushrooms back to the pan. We’re using single cream here to try and keep the fat and calories in check. This pasta is sooooo good and lush it doesn’t need the heaviness of double cream.
• Add the parsley and the pasta. Give it a good mix to get all those noodles coated well. Now we’ve reached the point where you can skip the rest and just get your comfy clothes on and eat this pasta straight from the pan. BUUUUTTTT… may I suggest that you do go all the way and put this pasta to bed under a blanket of mozzarella and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. All we’re looking for is the cheese to be melted and golden in some spots and the creamy sauce to be bubbling around the edges.

What kind of pasta should you use for a pasta bake?

A short noodle works best in a pasta bake because it’s easier to dish out of the baking tray with a spoon and there is no twirling required.

Best cheese to use for a pasta bake?

Mozzarella is the perfect cheese for a pasta bake because it melts so well and is available in the grated packs. But, if you don’t like mozzarella then any melting cheese will do. Some to consider… Gruyere, Emmental and Swiss are great ones to try.

Can you Freeze a Pasta Bake?

You sure can. And there are a couple of ways to do so. The first one is to cook the sauce and pasta. Put it all together in the oven safe dish and freeze. Then when ready to eat, defrost, defrost, add the cheese and bake according to the recipe.

Or you can make the whole recipe including baking with the cheese and wrap tightly in foil and freeze. To reheat, leave the foil on so that the cheese doesn’t burn.

This recipe does require a tiny investment of time for caramelising the onions, but you will be richly rewarded with 8 very cosy, creamy and cheesy portions of vegetable pasta bake that will make you feel like the dinner hero you already are!

More Cosy Pasta Recipes on Savvy Bites

• Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
• The Best Baked Gnocchi
• One-Pot Spicy Chorizo Pasta

Tools used to make this Pasta Bake

1. Cast Iron Skillet
2. Garlic Grater
3. Sauce Pan

Creamiest Cheesy Vegetable Pasta Bake

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• Author: Deborah Thompson
• Prep Time: 40
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

A creamy cheesy vegetable pasta bake that is full of rich flavours and basic ingredients. All ingredients available at Aldi UK.

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 250g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic
• 250g pasta (farfalle or similar)
• 200ml vegetable stock made with 1/2 stock cube
• 200ml single cream
• 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
• 200g grated mozzarella

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside while you make the sauce.
3. Heat the butter and olive oil in a cast iron skillet or a large pan. Once the butter is melted and foaming, add the mushrooms and garlic. Once the mushrooms are golden remove them along with the garlic to a plate or bowl and set aside. Wipe the pan with kitchen roll and place back on the heat.
4. Add a drop more oil to the pan and place the onions in. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook the onions over a low heat until they are golden and caramelised. Then add the mushrooms back to the pan along with the cream, vegetable stock and chopped parsley. Stir everything well so that the sauce coats the noodles. If using a sauce pan, transfer the pasta to an oven safe dish.
5. Top with the mozzarella and bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the dish.

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Notes

1. The onions are mostly water and cook down about 2/3 of their original size. Adding some salt at the beginning of cooking helps to release the water from the onions.
2.  If freezing this pasta bake cook the sauce and pasta. Put it all together in the oven safe dish and freeze. Then when ready to eat, defrost, defrost, add the cheese and bake according to the recipe.Or you can make the whole recipe including baking with the cheese and wrap tightly in foil and freeze. To reheat, leave the foil on so that the cheese doesn’t burn.

• Category: Pasta
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: skillet pasta, caramelised onions, creamy, mushrooms

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