This pasta bake is an absolute winner! It’s so easy to make, utterly delicious and packed with so much flavour! For this recipe I have used Violife grated and creamy cheese alternatives which  they work like a dream in any dairy free recipes. I use them as part of the filling together with the cooked aubergine, pepper and basil and the result it’s an ultra creamy and decadent pasta bake oozing with some much deliciousness! You really have to try this recipe!

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:

1 jar of your favourite tomato sauce ( I went for a simple tomato and basil sauce)

250gr of giant pasta shells

For the filling:

1/2 aubergine – chopped into small cubes

1/2 red bell pepper – chopped into small pieces

1 white onion- finely chopped

3 garlic cloves – minced

100gr of Violife Original Flavour grated + extra for sprinkling on top

3 tbsp of Violife Original Flavour Creamy

A bunch of fresh basil leaves + extra for sprinkling on top

1 tbsp of olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

To a large frying pan add the oil together with onion. Sautee the onion for 3-5 minutes until it starts to caramelise. Add in the minced garlic & chopped aubergine. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the aubergine becomes soft and almost mushy. In a separate pan add a touch of oil and the chopped pepper and cook for about the same time as the aubergine.

While the veggies are cooking cook your pasta according to the packet instruction keeping it “al dente”. Drain it, rinse it with some cold water and set it onto one side.

To a food processor add the cooked aubergine, onion and garlic, Violife grated, Violife creamy, salt and pepper and the fresh basil. Blitz for few seconds until you have a creamy filling. Transfer it to bowl and mix in the cooked pepper.

Cover the bottom of a large baking tray with most of the tomato sauce (reserve some to drizzle on top). Fill each shell with the filling mix and arrange them on tray until it’s all covered. Drizzle the remaining tomato sauce on the shells and sprinkle with some extra Violife grated.

Bake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes until the pasta starts to become slightly crispy on top.

Sprinkle some extra chopped basil leaves and serve while still warm.

Enjoy!