Lentil Pasta Bake with Tortiglioni (No Boil)
A high protein vegetarian pasta bake that the whole family will love! Tortiglioni pasta and lentils are baked in a creamy tomato and mozzarella sauce, then topped with a mixed herb crumb. No boiling required, everything cooks together in one dish for minimal effort and cleanup!
Ingredients
- 8 oz (250 g) dried tortiglioni pasta, or penne, ziti or rigatoni
- 1.5 cups green or brown lentils, or 1 can, drained
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
- 2 cups (250 g) grated mozzarella*
- 1 cup (100 g) grated parmesan
- 28 oz (800 g) canned tomatoes
- 2 cups (475 ml) whole milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
Herby Topping
- ½ cup (8 Tbsp) breadcrumbs
- ½ cup (50 g) grated parmesan
- a few handfuls of fresh herbs, I used a combo of basil, thyme, sage and rosemary
- ¼ cup (4 Tbsp) olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 400F.
- In a deep casserole dish, combine your dry pasta, lentils, garlic, cheese, mixed dried herbs and canned tomatoes.
- Pour the milk over the top and stir through. Cover and place in the oven for 50 minutes.
- In the meantime, make your herby topping. Put the breadcrumbs, parmesan, herbs and salt and pepper in a food processor and blitz.
- Slowly add the olive oil and pulse until the mixture is wet and sandy.
- Once the pasta has cooked for 50 minutes, remove from the oven.Uncover and stir through.
- Change the oven setting to broil / grill.
- Add the herby topping to the pasta and return to the oven for a few minutes until the topping is crisping up.
- Leave to sit for 5 minutes or so before dishing up.
Notes
*You want a block of mozzarella which you grate yourself, NOT the pre-shredded kind which has a starchy coating and won't melt into the sauce the same way.
This recipe is adapted from The Kitchn
Serving: 1g, Calories: 637kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 61mg, Sodium: 947mg, Potassium: 916mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 890IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 596mg, Iron: 5mg
