Tomato Pasta Bake
This tomato pasta bake is an easy, budget-friendly casserole made with spaghetti, roasted eggplant and a fresh blended tomato sauce, baked until it is moist inside and lightly crisp on top. You boil the pasta, cook the eggplant and onion, blend a quick sauce from tomatoes, peppers, tomato paste and herbs, then mix everything in a tray and bake at 180C (375F) for 20 minutes. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free if you use gluten-free spaghetti, and it feeds a whole family from one dish.
I love casseroles, and I have a bunch of casserole recipes on the blog that are among my most popular. I think people like them so much because all you have to do is mix and bake, and with minimal effort you get a hearty, budget-friendly meal that is ideal for feeding whole families. When I made this one I was actually thinking about Ratatouille and wanted to combine that famous recipe with pasta to see how it would turn out. I did not have any zucchini on hand, so I ended up making something a little different, but the roasted-vegetable spirit is still here, and a proper ratatouille pasta is next on my to-do list.
What Goes Into This Tomato Pasta Bake
The ingredient list is short and forgiving. Here is what each part brings to the tray:
- Spaghetti (500 g) — I used gluten-free spaghetti by Schar, but any spaghetti works. Boil it a little under, because it keeps cooking in the oven.
- Eggplant — cut into small cubes so it softens quickly in the pan and roasts through in the bake.
- Tomatoes and tomato paste — fresh diced tomatoes give body and brightness, and 5 tablespoons of tomato paste deepen the color and concentrate the flavor.
- Red bell peppers — diced and blended into the sauce for a mild sweetness.
- Onion and garlic — the aromatic base; the onion is cooked with the eggplant, the garlic goes into the blended sauce.
- Olive oil — 4 tablespoons total, one to grease the tray and the rest for cooking.
- Oregano, thyme and basil — a teaspoon of each dried herb, plus sea salt and pepper to taste.
How To Make Pasta Bake, Step By Step
Pasta bakes are about as easy as cooking gets. Boil the spaghetti until just al dente and set it aside. Grease your oven tray with a tablespoon of oil. In a large pan, heat the rest of the oil and cook the cubed eggplant with the diced onion for about 10 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper, until the eggplant is soft. While that cooks, add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, peppers, garlic, herbs and seasonings to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Tip the drained pasta into the tray, pour over the cooked eggplant and onion and the blended tomato sauce, mix it all together and spread it evenly. Bake at 180C (375F) for 20 minutes, and it is ready to serve.
Tips For The Best Results
- Undercook the pasta. Leaving it a touch al dente matters here, because it continues to absorb sauce and soften in the oven. Fully cooked pasta going into the tray can turn mushy.
- Blend the sauce smooth. Running the raw tomatoes, peppers, garlic and paste through the blender gives you an even, pourable sauce that coats every strand instead of pooling.
- Cook the eggplant first. Ten minutes in the pan drives off moisture and softens it, so it finishes tender in the bake rather than staying spongy.
- Season in layers. Salt the eggplant while it cooks and the sauce while it blends, then taste before it goes in the oven.
- Spread it evenly. A flat, even layer bakes uniformly and gives you that lightly crisp top over a moist middle.
What To Serve With It
This bake is hearty enough to stand on its own, but a light side keeps the meal fresh, especially if you are eating it across a few days. A crisp summer salad is the easiest match and balances the richness of the tomato and eggplant. If you want to lean into the pasta night, it sits happily alongside other tomato-forward plates like oyster mushroom spaghetti with tomato and basil or a comforting vegan bolognese.
Storage, Make-Ahead And More Pasta Bakes
This is a great cook-once, eat-for-days meal. Make a full tray and you are covered for at least three days; just keep it covered in the fridge and reheat portions in the oven or microwave. If you do not want to get bored eating the same thing, spice it up with different toppings or a fresh side each day. It also holds up well as a make-ahead, since the flavors settle as it sits.
If you are looking for more pasta bakes and roasted-veg pasta ideas, try my vegan cheesy pasta casserole, this baked pasta tart with smoked tofu, my vegan eggplant pasta, or a quick one-pot Italian pasta for the nights you do not want to turn on the oven at all.
If you make this tomato pasta bake, I would love to know how the eggplant and blended tomato sauce turned out for you — please rate the recipe below and leave a comment with any tweaks you tried, like extra herbs or a handful of your favorite roasted veg.
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Tomato Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 500 g spaghetti gluten-free, such as Schar
- 1 eggplant cut in small cubes
- 5 cloves garlic
- 6 tomatoes diced
- 2 red bell peppers diced
- 5 Tbsps tomato paste
- 1 onion diced
- 4 Tbsps olive oil
- 1 tsp oregano dried
- 1 tsp thyme dried
- 1 tsp basil dried
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Leave it slightly al dente, as it will cook more in the oven.
- Grease an oven tray with 1 Tbsp of the oil.
- Heat the rest of the oil in a large pan and add the cubed eggplant and diced onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and peppers, spices, seasonings and garlic to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the oven tray. Pour over the cooked eggplant and onion and the tomato sauce.
- Mix everything in the tray and spread evenly.
- Place it in the oven at 180C (375F) for 20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Every ingredient is plant-based — spaghetti, eggplant, tomatoes, bell peppers, tomato paste, onion, garlic, olive oil and dried herbs. There is no cheese, egg or dairy in the recipe, so it is fully vegan as written.
Yes. I used gluten-free spaghetti by Schar, so the dish is already gluten-free when you use a certified gluten-free pasta. Every other ingredient is naturally gluten-free, so just check your pasta and tomato paste labels.
The spaghetti keeps cooking in the oven and absorbs sauce as it bakes, so boiling it just al dente stops it from turning mushy. Drain it while it still has a slight bite and it will finish tender after 20 minutes in the oven.
Blending the tomatoes, peppers, tomato paste, garlic and herbs gives you a smooth, pourable sauce that coats every strand of pasta evenly. If you prefer a chunkier bake you can chop everything finely instead, but the texture will be more rustic and less saucy.
It keeps well covered in the fridge for at least three days, which makes it a great cook-once, eat-for-days meal. It also works as a make-ahead, since the flavors settle as it sits; just reheat portions in the oven or microwave.
Absolutely. It started as a Ratatouille-inspired idea, so roasted-veg additions like zucchini fit naturally. Cook any extra vegetables along with the eggplant and onion so they soften before baking.
Nicely written piece!
Fantastic recipe. Great mix of information and simplicity!
Never thought of baking pasta before, but it’s soooo delicious and filling! Perfect for brunch!
Thank you! So glad you liked it!