Clodagh McKenna’s summer pasta bake

Plenty of pasta bakes can be quite heavy, based on rich, creamy sauces or meaty ragus, but this one is fresh and light, perfect for a midweek family supper.

It’s made with seasonal vegetables, here aubergines and tomatoes, but you could also add courgettes and spinach. Garlic, capers and basil pack it with flavour, and a mix of parmesan, breadcrumbs and almonds give it a crisp, tasty coating.

It’s a great “make-ahead” recipe, one that can be doubled to feed four — or just freeze half for another day.

I use conchiglie pasta — the one that looks like a seashell — but penne, rigatoni or fusilli all work just as well. Conchiglie have a ridged exterior but a smooth interior, which means the inside fills up when stirred in the sauce. Luckily, because of the ridges, sauce sticks to the outside as well — so every mouthful is delicious. 

Keep it light by serving with a green leaf salad and summer herb dressing. Whisk together 100ml extra-virgin olive oil, 50ml white wine vinegar, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, another teaspoon of honey, and a tablespoon of finely chopped summer herbs — I use basil, flat leaf parsley and mint. Finish it off with a dash of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Summer pasta bake 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 25 minutes 

Serves: 2 

Serve with: Côtes du Rhône Belleruche 2016 M.Chapoutier, £11.99, available from Majestic Wines 

Ingredients 

• 200g conchiglie pasta
• Olive oil 
• 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 onion, diced 
• 1 large aubergine, diced
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 
• 2 tsp capers, rinsed 
• 12 basil leaves, torn into small pieces
• zest of 1 lemon
• 100g whole almonds, roughly chopped
• 100g panko breadcrumbs 
• 80g parmesan cheese, finely grated 
• 50g butter, melted
• Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper 

Method 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4

2. Place a saucepan of water over a high heat and bring to the boil, then season with sea salt. When the water is boiling, reduce to simmer and stir in the pasta shells. After five minutes, when the pasta is still al dente, remove from the heat and drain.

3. Place a skillet or frying pan over a medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil, then the garlic and onions. Cook for three minutes. Next, add the aubergine and cook for a further three minutes. 

4. Stir in the tomatoes, basil leaves, capers and pasta, and mix so that all the ingredients combine in the pan.

5. In a bowl, mix together the finely grated parmesan, chopped almonds, melted butter and breadcrumbs, and sprinkle over the top of the pasta until it’s completely covered. 

6. Put the pasta into the oven for about quarter of an hour, or until the top is bubbling and crispy.

Follow Clodagh on Instagram @clodagh_mckenna