Put that left-over Christmas cheese board to good use

If like me, you still have the odd bit of Christmas cheese knocking about at the back of the fridge, then why not give it a good home in a hearty pasta bake?

Warming, delicious and with added roast vegetables, this recipe is the perfect winter warmer for a cold January eve.

Cheesy pasta bake

Serves 4 / Hands on time 20-25 mins / Total time 40 mins

You’ll need: A deep oven dish approx. 25cm (5cm deep) 3 tsp rapeseed oil 1 aubergine, cubed 1 pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped ½ red onion, roughly chopped 1 tsp oregano ½ tsp sea salt flakes 200g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 can chopped tomatoes 200g wholemeal penne 4 tbs red pesto 2 handfuls pitted black olives(optional) 100g soft cheese – I used goats cheese but stilton, camembert, mozzarella or even brie would work 80g mature cheddar, grated 20g Parmesan (optional)

Method

1. Preheat an oven to 220°C/200°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7. Roughly chop the red onion and the pepper and add to the baking dish along with the cubed aubergine. Sprinkle over the dried oregano and the salt before drizzling over the oil. Give it a good stir to evenly distribute the seasoning and the oil and bake in the oven for 15 mins.

2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions minus 2 minutes (this ensures the pasta doesn’t become too soft during oven cooking later. While the pasta is cooking, use this time to grate the cheddar, parmesan and chop/crumble your chosen soft cheese.

3. Remove the vegetables from the oven and give them a good shake before adding the cherry tomato halves. Mix well and return to the oven for a further 5 mins.

4. Drain the pasta and give it a quick blast of cold water (this will stop it from continuing to cook). Stir in a tsp of oil to prevent the pasta sticking to each other and put to one side to continue to drain.

5. Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven (leave the oven on) and add the can of tinned tomatoes, red pesto and black olives. Stir until the sauce is evenly distributed before adding the pasta bit by bit to ensure it gets fully incorporated.

6. Finally, submerge the soft cheese throughout the pasta bake and top with the grated cheddar and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for 15 mins. Switch the oven to a hot grill setting and grill for a further 2 mins or until the top is golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5 mins before serving with a simple green salad.