Spinach and Penne Bake

Ingredients

• 1.500 millilitre penne pasta, uncooked; cooked per packet instructions and cooled
• 2.500 millilitre tomato sauce, 2 cups; from the recipe below
• 3.300 gram fresh spinach, shredded; lightly fried
• 4.basil, 2 tablespoons fresh or 2 teaspoons dried
• 5.500 gram brown mushrooms, sliced; lightly fried
• 6.mozzarella, 1–2 cups grated; for topping
• 7.1 onion, finely chopped; for tomato sauce
• 8.60 millilitre olive oil, for tomato sauce
• 9.1275 gram whole peeled tomatoes, tinned; 3 x 425 g tins; for tomato sauce
• 10.30 millilitre sugar, for tomato sauce
• 11.salt and pepper, for tomato sauce

Method

1. 1.Make the tomato sauce: lightly fry the onions in the olive oil. Add the tomatoes and simmer slowly for about an hour. Sauce should have thickened. Season with the sugar, salt and pepper.
2. 2.Cook penne as per packet instructions. Drain and cool.
3. 3.In a baking dish, layer: half the tomato sauce; the penne; remaining half tomato sauce; the spinach; the basil; the mushrooms; then the mozzarella.
4. 4.Bake uncovered in a 180°C oven for about 20 minutes.

Notes

• Card note at top: 'Can be made the day before.'
• A fully vegetarian pasta bake. The tomato sauce recipe is given on the card itself.