A creamy pasta bake using a selection of spring and summer green vegetables including asparagus, broad beans and peas with penne pasta, topped with a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese crumb.
Ingredients
- 250g dried penne pasta
- 150g asparagus trimmed and cut into 3cm lengths
- 15g butter
- 300g quark
- 1 low-sodium stock cube
- 12g fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 lemon
- 200g frozen broad beans defrosted and outer skin removed
- 150g frozen peas defrosted
- 40g vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese grated
- 30g panko breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Fill a large saucepan with water and when boiling add the penne pasta and cook for 12-14 minutes until cooked but still with a little bite. Drain and return to the pan.
- Melt the butter gently in a frying pan. Add the asparagus and fry for 3-4 minutes until just beginning to soften.
- Add the quark to the pan along with a crumbled stock cube and 75 ml water. Heat very gently for 2 minutes to dissolve the stock cube. Add half the parsley to the pan with the sauce.
- Grate the zest of the lemon and add to the pan with the broad beans, peas, half of the Italian-style hard cheese and drained pasta then heat gently for a minute. Squeeze over the juice of half the lemon, season to taste, adding a splash of water if the sauce looks a little thick.
- Preheat the grill to moderate and transfer the pasta mixture to an ovenproof dish.
- Meanwhile place the panko breadcrumbs, remaining Italian-style hard cheese and parsley into a small bowl and mix to combine.
- Sprinkle the crust over the pasta and grill for 3 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the crust is golden.
