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Baked Cheesy Pasta

Taranpreet
This recipe is a great combination of Indian style pasta and lasagna. It's topped with mozzarella and cheddar cheese, oregano, green olives and is baked to perfection to get that golden crust on the top and melted cheese in the middle.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Baking Time 10 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Italian
Servings 5 people
Calories 227 kcal

Equipment

  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups Pasta macaroni, penne, fusilli or rotini
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 2 Red onions medium sized, diced
  • 1 Yellow bell pepper diced
  • 1 Orange bell pepper diced
  • 1 Tomato large
  • 1/3 cup Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp Tomato ketchup
  • 1 cup Baby spinach chopped
  • 1 tbsp Cilantro
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
  • Green chillies optional
  • 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp Oregano
  • 1/4 cup Olives black or green
  • 1/4 Lime juiced
  • 1 cup Cheese shredded, mozzarella and cheddar mix

Instructions
 

  • Boil water in a large pot. Add some salt, olive oil and pasta. Follow the cooking instructions on the package. Drain the pasta and run it under cold water to stop the cooking process. Keep aside.
  • Add olive oil to the pan
  • When heated, add cumin seeds and garlic. Sauté until fragrant
  • Add diced onions
  • Cook on medium flame for 2-3 min. Then add diced bell peppers
  • Stir well and cook for 5 min
  • Add diced tomatoes
  • Add salt, garlic powder, tomato paste, black pepper, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and oregano
  • Turn the heat to medium-low
  • Cook until the spices are fragrant and tomatoes are well cooked
  • Add tomato ketchup, lime juice and give it a stir
  • Add chopped spinach and mix everything
  • Add boiled pasta to the veggies
  • Mix well until all the pasta is well combined with the veggies
  • You can enjoy this pasta as is or take it to next step
  • Grease the baking pan with a few drops of olive oil
  • Add the cooked pasta in a thin layer. Sprinkle cheese and add another layer of pasta
  • Top it up with green olives, cheese and oregano
  • Bake in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly on the top
  • Serve hot!

Notes

  1. Mushrooms, Broccoli and Jalapeno goes well in the recipe as well.
  2. You can add meat of your choice in the recipe too.
  3. The pasta can be meal prepped in advance and can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Top it with cheese and bake for 10 minutes in the oven before serving!
  4. Adjust the amount of cheese to your liking.
  5. I am using an 8 x 8 inch pan. The measurements in the recipe makes enough pasta to be baked twice in this pan.