Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Bake
Cook once, feed everyone: rigatoni in a creamy, blended tomato and mascarpone sauce (with secretly softened veg), baked under bubbling mozzarella. A crowd-pleaser from nine months to ninety. For baby (from 7 months): set aside a saucy, well-cooked portion before baking and chop the pasta small.
Ingredients
- 450 g rigatoni or penne
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tins (400 g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil or oregano
- 150 g mascarpone
- 125 g mozzarella, torn
- 30 g parmesan, grated
Method
- Cook the pasta in unsalted water until just shy of al dente. Drain.
- Meanwhile, soften the onion and carrot in the oil, add the garlic, then the tomatoes and herbs. Simmer until the veg is soft.
- Blend the sauce smooth, then stir in the mascarpone until creamy.
- For baby (from 7 months): mix a little sauce with some well-cooked pasta, chopped small or mashed, and set aside — babies skip the extra cheese load of the baked top.
- Toss the rest of the pasta with the sauce in a baking dish, top with mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 200°C fan until golden and bubbling.
- Rest for 5 minutes before serving — pasta bakes hold ferocious heat. Adults season at the table.
Chef's note: Cook once, feed everyone. The blended carrot and onion sweeten the sauce with no added sugar. Assemble ahead and bake when needed, or freeze portions for 3 months. Reheat leftovers until piping hot.
Nutrition per serving
430kcal
16gprotein
55gcarbs
16gfat
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