Cheesy Butter Bean, Tomato & Garlic Pasta Bake
Creamy butter beans and pasta baked in a rich tomato and garlic sauce, topped with bubbling mozzarella, Cheddar and Parmesan. Packed with comforting, family-friendly flavour, this easy pasta bake is perfect for feeding a crowd, meal prepping or sneaking some extra goodness into a midweek dinner.
Serves
4
Featuring
Bold Bean Co Queen Butter Beans
Ingredients
1 jar Bold Bean Co. Queen Butter Beans, with their bean stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 red or brown onion, finely chopped
150g pasta of your choice
2–3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
½ tsp chilli flakes, or to taste
500ml passata
Large handful fresh basil leaves
120g spinach leaves, optional
50g Cheddar, coarsely grated
125g ball mozzarella
40g Parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
To Serve
- Mixed salad leaves dressed with olive oil and lemon juice
- Garlic bread
All ingredients are available to purchase in our Farm Shop
Method
- Preheat the oven to 230°C / 210°C fan.
- Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pan or shallow casserole over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8–10 minutes until softened, adding a splash of water if needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until just under al dente, following the packet instructions. Reserve a mugful of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the garlic, tomato purée and chilli flakes (if using) to the onion with 2 tbsp water. Stir and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the tomato purée deepens in colour.
- Add the passata and most of the basil (leave some to garnish). Season with salt and black pepper, then simmer for 7–8 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the butter beans with their stock, cooked pasta and spinach. Simmer for 5–6 minutes until the spinach has wilted, adding a little pasta water if needed.
- For a creamier sauce, lightly mash some of the beans while leaving some whole for texture.
- If using a frying pan, transfer the mixture to a large baking dish. Otherwise, leave it in the ovenproof pan.
- Top with the Cheddar, tear over the mozzarella and scatter with the Parmesan.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes until golden. For extra colour, finish under a hot grill for a few minutes.
- Rest for 5 minutes, then scatter with the remaining basil and serve with a fresh green salad and garlic bread.
