Courgette Pasta Bake

Some weeknight dinners come out of nowhere but instantly feel like they should be written down — this courgette pasta bake was exactly that. I had brought home a giant courgette from the allotment, the kind that hides under a leaf until it suddenly grows into the size of your forearm. After using most of it for other dishes, I still had about half a kilo left, and I wanted to make something comforting but simple.

I roasted the courgettes in an oven dish, tossing them with olive oil, salt, pepper and a pinch of oregano. They browned and softened quickly, and after 15 minutes I added thinly sliced garlic and returned the dish to the oven. This stage gives the bake so much of its flavour — the courgettes collapse into something almost jammy, and the garlic melts right into them.

Once they were roasted, I mashed everything lightly with a potato masher. Nothing too smooth — I like a bit of texture left. Then came the milk and cream, brought up to a gentle simmer on the hob until it turned into a pale, velvety sauce. The pasta cooks directly in this courgette mixture, absorbing all that flavour and saving you an extra pot.

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At this point, the oven dish finally gets its lid. Once the pasta goes in and everything is combined, the dish is covered before it returns to the oven. The pasta cooks through in the courgette sauce, and then the lid comes off for the final steps — stirring in the cheese, adding more on top, and finishing under the grill until golden and crisp.

A note on the edges: the cream will naturally caramelise and darken wherever it touches the sides of the pan — it’s perfectly normal, especially in wider dishes. You can reduce it by using a deeper dish or lowering the oven temperature slightly, but I actually enjoy those toasty edges most of the time.

This is the kind of dish that tastes like more effort than it really was, and the leftovers reheat beautifully. I’m writing it down now so I don’t forget — and in case you want to make it too.

Courgette Pasta Bake — Recipe

Serves: 4

Prep + Cook Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients

500 g courgettes, cut into 2 cm cubes

60 mL olive oil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and black pepper

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

300 mL milk

200 mL double cream

300 g short pasta such as fusilli, rigatoni or penne

150 g mature cheddar, coarsely grated

2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C). Place the courgettes in an oven dish, toss with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and roast for another 15 minutes, until the courgettes soften and start to caramelise.

3. Lightly mash the courgettes and garlic with a potato masher. Transfer to a pan, add the milk and cream, and bring to a gentle simmer on the hob.

4. Add the uncooked pasta, stir well and season if needed.

5. Return everything to the oven dish, cover with the lid, and bake at 200°C (fan) for 20 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.

6. Stir in 100 g of the cheddar. Top with the remaining 50 g cheddar and the panko.

7. Grill for 5 minutes until the top is golden and crisp.