Pasta bake

Serves: 6

Dietary fibre per serve: 11g

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms
• 400g tin brown lentils
•  2 x 400g tins crushed tomato
• ¼ cup olives
• 2 cups spinach leaves, washed
• 2 cups wholemeal penne pasta
• 1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced) for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add oil to large non-stick frypan on medium high heat, add onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until soft.
3. Add lentils, olives and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced to a thick consistency.
4. Prepare the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse pasta in colander, removing most of the water.
5. Stir spinach through sauce until lightly wilted. Add pasta and mix until well-combined.
6. Brush a large baking dish (lasagne style) with olive oil and pour the pasta and sauce mix in.
7. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to turn golden brown.
9. Serve with a side salad.

Alternatives

• Make it gluten-free by substituting 2 cups wholemeal pasta for 2 cups gluten-free pasta.
• Try swapping spinach for kale.
• Swap mushrooms for capsicum, eggplant and zucchini.

Recipe supplied courtesy of Cancer Council Queensland