Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach and Goat's Cheese Pasta Bake

I love a jar of char-grilled peppers - they're sweet and juicy and all the hard work is done for you. In this recipe, I combined the sweetness of the peppers with tangy goat’s cheese, fresh spinach and a kick of chilli for a delicious vegetarian supper.

I like to serve this simply with a green salad on the side and maybe some garlic bread if I'm feeling extravagant. If you like, you can make this in advance: once you've got everything in the baking dish and topped with the cheese, leave to cool and it can sit in the fridge for a couple of days. 

Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach and Goat's Cheese Pasta Bake

Serves 6

oil

2 onions, finely sliced 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

1 tsp chilli flakes 

460g jar grilled red peppers, drained and sliced into chunky strips 

200ml dry white wine 

2 tbsp red wine vinegar 

700ml tomato passata 

1½ tbsp caster sugar 

50g raisins 

1 tsp dried mixed herbs

200g spinach, roughly chopped

400g fusilli pasta 

60g hard goat’s cheese, grated

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Heat a glug of oil in a large deep sauté or frying pan, add the onions and fry over a medium heat with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes until starting to soften. 

Add the garlic and fry for a few more minutes, then add the chilli flakes and pepper strips. Turn up the heat and cook for about a minute, then add the wine. Let the wine bubble vigorously for a couple of minutes, then turn the heat down and add the vinegar, passata, sugar, raisins, dried herbs and spinach. Season well with salt and pepper, then bubble for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water for 8 minutes.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Drain and stir in the pasta, then pour everything into the baking dish and scatter over the goat’s cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling, leave to stand for 5-10 minutes, then serve.