3 Cheese Veg-Packed Pasta Bake

Preheat the oven to 240ºC/ 220ºC (fan)/ gas 9

Boil a kettle

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Add your pasta to a pot of boiled water with a pinch of salt, bring to the boil over a high heat and cook for 7-9 min (10-12 min for wholewheat) or until cooked with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain the pasta

Reboil half a kettle

While the pasta is cooking, top, tail and chop your courgette[s] into quarters lengthways, then slice finely

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the sliced courgette with a pinch of salt and cook for 4 min or until beginning to soften

Meanwhile, dissolve your vegetable stock mix, dried basil, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar in 100ml [130ml] [150ml] boiled water – this is your stock

Chop your cherry tomatoes roughly

Once the courgette is beginning to soften, add the chopped garlic to the pan and cook for 30 secs

Add the stock with the chopped cherry tomatoes and your chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil over a high heat

Season with a generous grind of black pepper and cook for 3-4 min further

Grate your cheddar cheese

Grate your Italian hard cheese

Drain your mozzarella, then pat and squeeze as much liquid out as you can with kitchen paper

Tear the drained mozzarella into rough, bite-sized pieces

Chop your parsley finely, including the stalks

Add the drained pasta to the sauce with most of the chopped parsley (save some for garnish!) and mix it up

Add half the pasta mixture to an oven-proof dish, then top with the grated cheddar cheese

Top with the remaining pasta mixture, torn mozzarella and grated Italian hard cheese and put the dish in the oven for 5-10 min or until all the cheese has melted – this is your 3 cheese veg-packed pasta bake