Easy Veggie Pasta Bake - Budget Dinners

Veggie Messy Pasta Bake

A golden, bubbling bake made from leftover veg, a quick homemade sauce, and whatever pasta you’ve got kicking around. This is a Friday night special – comforting, creamy, and totally flexible.

Serves: 3–4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Special equipment: Baking tray or ovenproof dish

Let’s learn how to make it

This is my go-to for clearing out the fridge. I had some odds and ends—mushrooms, a wedge of pumpkin, spinach from the freezer, and the last of the cheese. You can swap in whatever veg you’ve got. A quick white sauce pulls it all together, and a blast in the oven gives you that dreamy golden top.

Ingredients

• 1 box of pasta (I used cannelloni tubes – lasagna sheets, penne, or rigatoni work great too)

• 2 leeks

• 1 red pepper (chargrilled from the jar is the easiest)

• A handful of mushrooms (or any soft veg)

• A small wedge of pumpkin or kumara

• A handful of frozen spinach

• 1 tablespoon plain flour

• A knob of butter

• 300–400ml milk (@pams_nz)

• Salt and pepper

• Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan – whatever’s left!)

Method

1. Turn on the oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C.

2. Get your pasta working: Boil a large pot of water and par-cook your pasta until just underdone (about 1 minute before al dente). Drain and set aside.

3. Cut leeks and wash: Trim, wash, and slice your leeks. Sauté them in a large pan with a little butter and salt.

4. Cut and Cook: Chop any other fresh veg – mushrooms, and pumpkin – and add them to the pan. Cook until soft.

5. Make the sauce: Stir in the flour and cook it out for a minute, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring well between additions to make a smooth sauce.

6. Fold in the last of the veg: Once the sauce has thickened slightly, season generously and fold through the defrosted, and thoroughly squeezed spinach and the sliced red pepper.

7. Mix: Add your cooked pasta to the pan and stir everything together until well coated.

8. Bake: Tip the mix into a baking dish, scatter over loads of cheese, and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling, golden, and crisp on top.

Chef’s Tip
This bake freezes beautifully. Portion it up and reheat for an easy midweek lunch.

Enjoy

Del x

P.S. If you like this, you’ll love my Tomato Lentil Ragu with Creamy Polenta another cosy, veg-packed dinner or even my Caramelised Onion and Potato Bake.