Cheese and mushroom pasta bake

Cheese and mushroom pasta bake

So yummy! A wonderful comforting pasta bake recipe. Great for entertaining. Adults and kids alike will love these shells stuffed with mushrooms, onion, cheese and garlic smothered in a delicious tomato sauce and another layer of gooey cheese.
I’ve photographed the entire process and even prepared a video clip to make it that much easier for you to prepare. A nice thing about this dish, other than its amazing taste, is that you can make it a day or two in advance and then reheat before serving.
So how do you make this crowd pleaser of a dish? Scroll down and see for yourself in the photos below.

A 20 x 30 cm baking pan

Preparation:

1. Dice the onion. Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a pot and add the onion. Sauté until barely golden. Slice the garlic and add to the pot with the onion and sauté for another minute. Remove 4 Tbsp of this and set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score the tops of the tomatoes and drop them in the boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes and drain. Let cool, peel, and finely dice. Add to the onion along with the tomato paste, paprika, bouillon, black pepper, sugar and water. Cook for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Take the onion we set aside and add to a pan along with 2 Tbsp of oil. Dice the mushrooms and add to the onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on high heat and add salt and pepper.

4. Add half of the tomato sauce to the baking dish. Cook the shells with a tsp of salt for around 12 minutes until al dente.

5. Stuff the shells with the mushroom mixture, place them in the baking dish and spoon the remaining tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30 minutes.

Good to know…
You can prepare the tomato sauce and the mushroom filling (without the cheese) the day before. The entire dish can be made a day before and then reheated before serving.