5 ingredients or less: Cheesy Pesto Pasta Bake

This cheesy pesto pasta bake uses all your favourite store cupboard essentials and takes just 20 minutes to bake!

This recipe serve 1 person which is ideal for avoiding food waste. If cooking for a friend or wanting leftovers for lunch, double up the quantities!

Ingredients:

• 200g pasta of your choice
• 1 tbsp pesto
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
• Mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil (or dried if you have it)

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius
2. Follow the instructions on your pasta to cook it, but take off 2 minutes from the recommended cooking time – this is because your pasta will go into the oven and cook further there
3. Once you’ve drained your pasta, tip it into an ovenproof dish and mix in the pesto
4. Add your tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. We recommend using some tomatoes and mozzarella to mix into the pasta well but saving some to sprinkle on the top. If you’re using fresh basil, tear it up and sprinkle over the top.
5. Bake your dish for around 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and it’s started to brown.