We usually are on vacation on our anniversary, but this year we stayed at home. Having just shifted to a new country, we thought of experiencing it a little before going out! {and also for the fact that hubby dear couldn’t take off!} We live across the ocean and though it’s been 2 months, we still haven’t spent a lazy afternoon on the beach right here! Don’t ask me how it is possible. It just was the case, until last Sunday, when we finally took our big umbrella and towels, sun glasses and books out on the sand.
Guess which book I took? A recipe book. In fact it was just a tiny supplement that I had once taken from my mother’s collection of magazine cuttings. I needed some inspiration for dinner and flipping through that I found just the idea – baked pasta. This vegetable pasta bake is perfect for a cosy dinner for two. Macaroni on a bed of red sauce made with lots of vegetables and simple seasoning and then topped with a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs and grated cheese.
We could have had it while it was still in the oven. The aroma itself was so amazing and when we dug into it… Ah! Bliss, Perfect anniversary dinner at home!
Vegetable Pasta Bake
By Ashima Goyal Siraj
Preparation time: |Cooking time: |Serves: 2 (with some leftovers for the next day!)
250 gms macaroni
4-5 tbsps olive oil
4 stalks of spring onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 medium sized white onion, chopped
2 medium sized (~300gms) eggplant, chopped into big chunks about 1-inch cubes
4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped
200ml tomato puree
Salt to taste
3 tsp dried mixed Italian herbs
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
½ cup breadcrumbs (just put a couple of slices of fresh bread into a blender)
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
¼ cup grated cheese
~100gms of mozzarella (or any other cheese you use on pizza/ pasta), cut into small cubes (~1/2 inch)
- Cook macaroni according to packet instructions; drain; wash in cold water and drizzle some olive oil on it. Mix well and keep aside.
- In a deep pan, heat 2 tbsps of oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion. Sauté for a few minutes until the garlic turns slightly brown.
- Add eggplant, cover pan and cook until the eggplant softens slightly, stirring in between.
- Add the spring onions, tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, pepper and mixed herbs. Mix well and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until the sauce thicken slightly.
- Add pasta and mozzarella cubes to the vegetable mixture. Mix well so that the pasta is well coated. Add mozzarella cubes. Mix well and put the mixture into a baking dish.
- Preheat oven to 180C
- In a mixing bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, grated cheese, chopped coriander, some salt and 1 tbsp of oil.
- Top the pasta with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until the top browns and the sauce bubbles.
I served it hot, in candle light with a glass of black grape cooler! (this is a no alcohol month for us!) I got this awesome candle holder for our anniversary dinner.. created a perfect ambiance!
my newest candle holder!
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