Roasted Tomato Pasta Bake

Name: Roasted Tomato Pasta Bake
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced plum tomatoes; 1 small onion finely chopped; 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) dried Italian herb seasoning; 1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper; 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) Milk; 3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour; 3 cups (750 mL) baby pasta shells or other small pasta; 1 cup (250 mL) shredded Canadian Italian-blend cheese or Canadian Mozzarella; Freshly grated Canadian Parmesan cheese

This recipe is taken from the 2004 Milk Calendar. A succulent pasta dish that requires little fuss yet delivers lots of flavour.

Prep: 5 min
Cooking: 30 min

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced plum tomatoes
1 small onion finely chopped
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) dried Italian herb seasoning
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) Milk
3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour
3 cups (750 mL) baby pasta shells or other small pasta
1 cup (250 mL) shredded Canadian Italian-blend cheese or Canadian Mozzarella
Freshly grated Canadian Parmesan cheese

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 °F (220 °C). Drain tomatoes in sieve, reserving juice. Set juice aside.

In 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) glass baking dish, combine drained tomatoes, onion, Italian seasoning and pepper. Roast for 15 min or until fragrant. Meanwhile, in saucepan, whisk milk with flour. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, just until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken.

Stir reserved tomato juice, milk mixture and pasta into baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 min longer or until pasta is tender but firm and sauce is thickened. Sprinkle with cheese and broil for 2 min or until golden and bubbling. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Tips

Oven roasting leaves you time to make a crispy green salad and garlic toast to serve on the side.- Christine Cushing

To cook the milk mixture in microwave instead of a saucepan, whisk milk and flour in a 4-cup (1 l) glass measuring cup; cook on High (100 %), uncovered, for about 8 min or until thickened, stirring every 2 min.

For the Adventurous: Stir in 2 tbsp (30 mL) black olive tapenade with the tomato juice and use crumbled Canadian Feta cheese in place of the Italian blend.