This veggie pasta bake has flavoursome pesto running through its light, creamy and zesty cheese sauce, making it the perfect al-fresco meal for those warmer summer evenings.
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, plus extra to garnish
150 ml vegetable stock
150 ml crème fraîche
150 g cream cheese
1 Tbsp. wholegrain mustard
Finely grated zest 1 lemon
100 g pesto, see GH Tip
2 large courgettes, trimmed and peeled into ribbons
50 g grated mozzarella, see GH Tip
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta until just al dente.
Step 2Meanwhile heat oil in a large frying pan and cook tomatoes for 3-4min on medium heat until they start to blister. Remove from heat and stir in the oregano, stock, crème fraîche, cream cheese, mustard, lemon zest, pesto, courgette ribbons and some seasoning.
Step 3Drain pasta and return to pan. Add courgette mixture and stir gently to combine. Spoon into a 2 litre ovenproof dish and sprinkle over mozzarella. Cook in the oven for 20min until the sauce is bubbling.
Step 4Preheat grill to high. Grill until the top is golden. Serve with a green salad, if you like.
GH Tip
If cooking for vegetarians, make sure to use vegetarian friendly cheese.
Per Serving:
Calories: 698
Protein: 18g
Total Fat: 41g
Saturates: 20g
Carbs: 61g
Total Sugars: 8g
Fibre: 6g
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The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time