Cherry Tomato & Kale Pasta Bake

An easy creamy tomato pasta bake packed with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes and leafy kale! This recipe is simple, flexible and can please a crowd.

6 portions (see notes)

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 40

5 from 1 rating

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Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) cherry tomatoes , whole (cherry, grape, baby plum or heirloom tomatoes are all fine)
4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for cooking
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz (280 g) dry penne or rigatoni
2 cups (50 g) kale, finely chopped - quantity is approximate, a little more or less is fine
½ medium red onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp mixed Italian herbs / seasoning
2 pinches chili or red pepper flakes
3 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup (120 ml) heavy (double) cream
2 cups (225 g) grated mozzarella

Instructions

Heat the oven to 180C / 360F.
First, get start the tomatoes roasting.
Add the whole tomatoes to a deep sided casserole dish. Pour in the olive oil and mix through, then drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top and season with salt and pepper.
Place in the oven for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Saute the onions in a little olive oil over a low/medium heat until soft. Add the garlic, cook for another minute until soft. Add the herbs and chili flakes, stir through, and then add the tomato paste. Cook for a little while to integrate all of the flavors into the tomato paste, then pour in the cream. Stir through, then remove from the heat and set aside, covered, until the pasta is cooked.
Boil the pasta, but drain it 2-3 minutes before it's finished (it will soften up a little more in the oven, so this helps to stop it from getting too soft). Add it to the pan with the sauce and toss through.
Make sure you don't start boiling the pasta too early - you want the pasta ready around the same time as the tomatoes are due to be cooked, so that it's not hanging around for too long in that pan.
After 20 minutes, the tomatoes should be burst and the pan should be full of juices and oil. Remove from the oven.
Add the pasta and kale directly into the pan with the roasted tomatoes. The juices and oils from the tomatoes will help to thin out the sauce a little. Ensure all of the kale is coated with some sauce.
Sprinkle the cheese on top and place back in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
Oven position: If you are using a dry or pre-grated mozzarella, place the pan in the middle of the oven, not too close to the top (this type of cheese browns very fast if it's too close to the heat, so the cheese would be done before the pasta bake was properly cooked through). If you're using a ball of fresh mozzarella, you can place the pan closer to the top because it's much slower to brown.
Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then cut in and serve.

Notes

Portions: Realistically this is 4 hearty adult sized portions, but if you're serving to kids or have a lot of side dishes you should have some extra portions left over.

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Dinner, Pasta

Calories: 468kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 319mg, Potassium: 446mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1735IU, Vitamin C: 27mg, Calcium: 247mg, Iron: 2mg