Easy pasta bake

Preheat the oven 200°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a baking dish with a little of the oil.

In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the pasta for 10 minutes (almost tender).  

Heat the remaining oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and season to taste. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and half the basil. 

Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. Add the pasta and pasta water to the sauce, mix well. Spoon the pasta and sauce into the prepared dish. Top with mozzarella and parmesan. Place onto a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden.

Scatter over the remaining basil, season to taste and serve. 

TIP: If you are saving the second serve for later in the week, reserve the basil, allow to cool, then cover tightly with foil and place in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. When reheating, spoon a tablespoon of water over the bake, press a sheet of baking paper onto the surface and cover with foil. Reheat in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and baking paper and heat for a further 5 minutes. Scatter over reserved basil and season to taste.