This is one of my favourite things to cook, especially when I want to make something that will continue to feed me throughout a busy week. My baked fusilli is almost better as microwaved leftovers than it is when comes fresh out of the oven. It’s cheesy, comforting and filling – the perfect thing to eat while sitting on the couch watching something great on telly.
There are a few steps involved to making this recipe, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s too complicated. It’s actually really easy. If you don’t have fusilli in your cupbard you can substitute another short pasta of your choice. Penne, orecchiette or even shells could also work really well here, but if you can get fusilli I suggest it because it’s my favourite in this recipe. The little coils of pasta really pick up the sauce and cheese in a way that’s so comfortingly delicious.
If you can’t find the block of mozzarella, don’t worry. I typically see this in the grocery store all the time and I find it’s the easiest, but you could easily use well drained fresh mozzarella or even shredded mozzarella in a bag. Finally, if you’re making this for children, you might consider leaving out the chilli flakes as they may be too much for little tastebuds.
When it comes to warming this up for leftovers, my only advice would be to not get in too much of a hurry. The hotter the better, so give it plenty of time in the microwave until the cheese is really melting. You won’t regret it. Yum! Let’s get started.
Ingredients
- 80g unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons garlic oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs seasoning
- 700g tomato passata
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 400g block of mozzarella, very finely diced into teeny tiny cubes
- 500g fusilli pasta
- Olive oil for the pasta water & drizzling
- Parmesan cheese for sprinkling, grated
- Salt & pepper
Method
- Put a large pot of salted water with a drop of olive oil on high heat to boil for the pasta later. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° Fan / 350° F.
- In a large saucepan with a lid, heat the butter and oil over medium heat until all the butter has melted and it’s hot.
- Add the chilli flakes, mixed Italian herbs seasoning and tomato paste. Cook for a minute or two stirring until combined and fragrant.
- Pour in the passata plus 1/2 jar of water along with the sugar. Season with salt & pepper, stir to combine and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and clamp on the lid. Leave to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until you’re ready to use it for the bake. Stir once or twice during the cooking time.
- Meanwhile cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet, stopping about 2 minutes early when the pasta is still just a little too al dente. Strain and pour into a deep, rectangular baking dish that is big enough to hold everything, such as a Pyrex 35cm casserole dish.
- Ladle or pour the sauce into the dish and stir it together with the pasta until it’s all coated and well mixed. Take about 1/3 or 1/2 of the cheese and stir it together with the saucy pasta so there’s some cheese mixed in with the pasta.
- Use the rest of the cheese to sprinkle it over the top of the whole pasta bake. Sprinkle with some Parmesan cheese as well and finish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top and a sprinkle of black pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until all the cheese has melted and it’s golden & bubbly. Serve hot.