Name: Roasted Pepper Pasta Bake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4 portions
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 300 g fusilli; 500 g red, yellow, orange peppers; 100 g cherry tomatoes; 2 garlic cloves, peeled; 2 tbsp olive oil; 50 g Parmesan, finely grated; 50 g mascarpone; 150 g mozzarella, grated; ¼ tsp chilli powder, or to taste; Salt and freshly ground black pepper

This roasted pepper pasta bake is one of those recipes I love for how little effort it takes. I usually use a mix of red, yellow and orange peppers, depending on what I have in the kitchen, and roast them with cherry tomatoes, garlic and olive oil until soft and slightly caramelised. Everything gets blended into a smooth, creamy sauce with mascarpone, Parmesan and a little chilli powder, which adds just enough heat without overpowering the sweetness of the peppers.

I just love the beautiful shades or red orange and yellow.

Once the sauce is ready, it’s simply a case of mixing it through the cooked fusilli, scattering over grated mozzarella and letting the oven do the rest. The cheese melts into the pasta, with a golden layer on top, while the sauce coats every piece. I love how a handful of everyday ingredients can come together to make such a flavourful dish, without needing to spend much time at the hob. It’s a straightforward vegetarian pasta bake that works just as well for a midweek dinner as it does for a relaxed weekend lunch.

Turning the grill setting on for the final 5 minutes of cooking gives the top a lovely crispy finish.

You can also prepare the roasted pepper sauce in advance if you want to get ahead. Blend it once the vegetables have roasted, then store it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook the pasta and assemble the bake. I like to reserve a little pasta water before draining the fusilli, just in case the sauce needs loosening, although you won’t always need it.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Halve the peppers, remove the seeds and stems, and place in a 27 × 21 cm ovenproof dish with the cherry tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, toss and and roast for 35 minutes.

Cook the fusilli in salted boiling water until 2 minutes short of the packet's recommended cooking time. Reserve a mug of pasta water, then drain.

Blend the roasted peppers, tomatoes and garlic with the mascarpone, Parmesan, chilli powder and a generous grind of black pepper until smooth. Taste and season with salt.

Add the drained pasta to the roasting dish along with the sauce and mix well. If needed, add a little reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.

Scatter the mozzarella over the pasta and bake for 20 minutes, turning on the grill in the last 5 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

This sauce is made primarily with red peppers, but I often throw in yellow or orange peppers too, depending on what I have to hand. I like to reserve some pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed, although you won't always need it.