Feed the family with a cheap and easy pasta bake

When you need something that’s cheap, filling and easy to make, you can’t go far wrong with a pasta bake.

What you’ll need

Serves four

• 300g of pasta
• a carton of passata or a tin of chopped tomatoes
• one chopped onion
• 100g of grated cheese
• a teaspoon of dried mixed herbs or oregano
• a little oil

How to make it

1.  Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
2.  Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but take it off the heat a couple of minutes before it's fully cooked.
3.  While the pasta is cooking, heat a little oil in a pan and soften the onion.
4.  Add the passata or chopped tomatoes
5.  Stir in the herbs and simmer for around five to 10 minutes.
6.  Drain the pasta and stir it into the sauce.
7.  Tip everything into an ovenproof dish.
8.  Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
9.  Bake for around 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.

Make it your own

Pasta bake is a great meal option because you don’t have to follow a strict recipe.

You can add pretty much whatever you like and it will work.

Got some vegetables that need using or frozen veg in the freezer?

Well, chuck them in.

Have some leftover chicken from last night’s tea, or a chicken breast hanging around that you don’t know what to do with?

Perfect. Cook it up in the pan with the onion.

Want a bit of spice?

Throw in some chilli flakes or chopped chillis to give it that extra kick.

And by using passata or tinned tomatoes, you can make sure the sauce is exactly how you like it, without any hidden or unhealthy ingredients.

Serve whenever you like

Another advantage of a pasta bake is that you can eat it whenever you like.

For example, if you know you’re going to be out for the day and won’t want to cook when you get back, make it the night before and keep it in the fridge, so you can pop it in the oven for a quick and easy tea.

Or if you’ve got enough ingredients, make a larger quantity and divide the leftovers into individual portions.

Once they’ve cooled down, put them in the fridge so you can have an easy lunch or tea in the next day or so, or maybe freeze them so they’re on hand when you don’t have time to cook.