Baked Green Goddess Macaroni (Easy Vegetable Pasta Bake)
A simple baked green goddess macaroni packed with spinach, asparagus, broccoli, celery and green onions. An easy vegetable pasta bake for weeknights.
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Ingredients
- 500 g macaroni
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch green onions
- 4 sticks celery
- 200 g tenderstem broccoli
- 250 g asparagus spears
- 250 g spinach
- 100 ml double cream
- 100 g grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative
- 20 g fresh basil leaves
- 10 g breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. Finely slice the green onions and celery, then chop the asparagus and tenderstem broccoli into roughly 1–2cm pieces, discarding any woody ends.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. If you have an ovenproof pan, this makes things even easier.
- Add the green onions and cook for about 1 minute, then add the celery and cook for another minute until beginning to soften.
- Add the asparagus and broccoli and cook, stirring often, for around 5 minutes.
- Add the spinach along with 200ml water and cook until the spinach has wilted down completely.
- Remove the pan from the heat and use a stick blender to blend the vegetables into a smooth-ish sauce. It doesn’t need to be perfectly silky.
- Stir in the double cream, half of the parmesan and the basil. Taste and season if needed.
- Add the cooked macaroni and stir really well so the pasta is evenly coated in the green sauce.
- Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and the remaining parmesan, then drizzle over the rest of the olive oil.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until the top is golden and the pasta is bubbling around the edges.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Storage and Reheating
Leftover baked green goddess macaroni keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave or in the oven until piping hot. If the pasta seems a little dry, add a splash of water or cream before reheating to loosen the sauce. This is one of those pasta bakes that is best freshly made, but leftovers are still very good the next day and make an easy lunch. I probably wouldn’t freeze this one unless you really need to, as green vegetable sauces can lose a little of their freshness after freezing.