the This simple, low fat bean pasta bake with tomatoes is a super easy to make and delicious healthy vegetarian weeknight dinner idea.
With a little bit of preparation this simple bean pasta bake with tomatoes can be put together in as little as 35 minutes. It’s a minimalist recipe that’s bursting with flavour and goodness!
What beans to use in bean pasta bake
I chose soya beans but any white bean variety would work in this vegetarian pasta bake.
Soya beans are sweet and nutty and delicious and so good for you too. They are not often available in cans so in this recipe I used dry soya beans.
Simply soak the soya beans overnight and then cook them according to package instructions. Once cooled they can be kept in the fridge (for up to 3 days) until you are ready to use them.
What I really love about soya beans, apart from their lovely nutty flavour, is their texture. They retain a bit of crunch even after cooking so they won’t disintegrate and become mushy. They complement the soft texture of pasta really nicely.
Having said that it’s absolutely fine to use a canned bean variety of your choice.
How to make healthy pasta bake with beans and tomatoes
It is important to cook the pasta al dente so it doesn’t come out of the oven too soft and mushy. To save time start preparing the sauce while the pasta is cooking.
To make the tomato sauce fry the onion and garlic, then add the tomatoes, tomato puree, pepper, parsley and wine and continue cooking for a few more minutes. Cover and simmer for 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. The sauce takes only about 10 minutes to make.
Remove from the heat and briefly blitz just to break up the larger pieces. Combine the pasta with the beans inside the casserole dish, then pour over the sauce, sprinkle the cheese and drizzle a little oil. Bake for 20 minutes and enjoy!
Consistency of the simple tomato sauce
I only blitzed it briefly in order to break up the larger veggie pieces rather than puree it completely so my sauce was semi chunky. But you can puree it until smooth if you prefer that consistency.
More vegetarian pasta bake recipes
- Lentil Lasagna with Kale
- Pasta Bake with Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes
- Easy Eggplant Pasta Bake with Chickpeas
See also this collection of over 12 healthy vegetarian pasta meals.
Bean Pasta Bake with Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 cups pasta, cooked al dente, for approx. 4 minutes fusilli or penne work well
- 1 cup soya beans or any white bean variety either canned or soaked overnight then cooked
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
For the sauce
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 3 large ripe vine tomatoes chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus a little more for drizzling
- 3 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
- 1 tsp smoked paprika plus 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2/3 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5.
- While the pasta is cooking prepare the sauce. Heat up the oil and fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, red pepper, parsley, tomato puree and wine. Stir, cover and cook for about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat, add seasoning, spices and the butter. Stir.
- Blitz the sauce until the larger pieces are broken up (do not puree completely). Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- Place the pasta together with the beans in a medium size oven dish and stir.
- Pour over the sauce stirring a little to combine. Sprinkle the cheese and drizzle a little oil over the whole thing. Bake for 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Pin Bean Pasta Bake with Tomatoes!
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Recipe link parties
I am bringing this simple tomato bean pasta bake recipe to #CookBlogShare, hosted this week by Kirsty@Hijacked By Twins. If you’ve got a recipe why not link it up too and share with the rest of the blogging community!
Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about creatively simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make, healthy and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking. 
Oooh yum! I love this idea. Perfect guilt-free comfort food 😀 Eb x
Pasta bake is one of our ‘go-to’ weekly dishes – it’s so easy and always satisfies. I’ve never thought of adding soya beans to the mix – I’ll definitely have to give that a go next time.
Angela x