Pizza Pasta Bake with the Thermomix® solves the dilemma when half the table wants pizza and the other half wants pasta. We combine both in one baking dish and skip the argument.
The dish works because the egg and cream mixture binds the pasta instead of letting it swim in tomato sauce. 120 g of cream with 2 eggs form a custard layer during baking that holds everything together. Without this binding, the bake turns into a soupy pasta pan.
Pizza Pasta Bake with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 18 ✓
- 400 g penne
- 2 eggs
- 120 g double cream
- 1 tsp vegetable stock powder
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 onion
- 1 dried chilli
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 450 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 230 g tinned mushrooms
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 150 g cooked ham
- 150 g salami
- 5 mild pickled peppers
- 200 g Mozzarella
- 5 leaves basil
Instructions 0 / 9
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1
Cook the penne.
Cook the penne in plenty of salted water according to the packet instructions.
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2
Mix the sauce.
Meanwhile, add the eggs, cream and stock to the mixing bowl and stir for 10 sec / speed 3, then set aside.
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3
Sweat the garlic and onion.
Peel the garlic and onion, halve them and place in the mixing bowl with the chilli. Chop for 3 sec / speed 8 and push down with the spatula. Add the olive oil and steam for 5 min / Varoma / speed 1.
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4
Cook the tomatoes and mushrooms.
Add the tomatoes, mushrooms, salt, oregano and thyme and cook for 10 min / 90°C / reverse direction / speed 1. Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and combine with the egg and cream mixture.
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5
Preheat the oven.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (200°C conventional, gas mark 3 to 4).
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6
Cut the ham, salami and peppers and fold in.
Set aside a few slices of the cooked ham and salami for garnishing, then cut the rest along with the peppers into small pieces and mix into the pasta.
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7
Spread over the tomato sauce, salami, ham and Mozzarella.
Pour the tomato sauce over the top and garnish with the salami and ham. Slice the Mozzarella and distribute evenly over the bake.
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8
Bake.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
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9
Garnish with basil.
Wash and tear the basil leaves, then scatter over the bake just before serving.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why penne and not other pasta
Penne have two advantages for this bake. The tube shape draws in the egg and cream mixture and carries it right to the centre of the dish. And the smooth surface stops the tomato sauce sticking too firmly and watering down the binding. Fusilli or farfalle absorb too much liquid and turn soft. Rigatoni would technically also work, but with 400 g of penne the quantity fits a standard baking dish perfectly for 4 servings.
The tomato sauce needs reverse direction
10 minutes at 90°C with reverse direction at speed 1 reduces the tinned tomatoes without chopping up the mushrooms. Normal direction would puree the mushrooms and make the sauce mushy. Reverse direction keeps the pieces intact while the tomato liquid reduces. Oregano and thyme go in during cooking, not just before serving. The heat activates the essential oils and gives the sauce its pizza character.
Fold the meat into the pasta after cutting
We cut the cooked ham and salami into small cubes and fold them into the pasta mixed with the egg and cream. Do not add them to the tomato sauce, or they will cook through and become tough. The meat cooks during the 25 to 30 minutes in the oven and releases its fat into the pasta. This makes the bake juicier than if the meat were pre-cooked. A few slices of ham and salami are kept back for garnishing and go on top just before baking.
Mozzarella in slices, not grated
We slice 200 g of Mozzarella into even rounds and distribute them across the bake. Grated Mozzarella dries out in the oven and turns rubbery. Slices melt evenly and create the classic cheese pull when you serve it. The moisture from the Mozzarella combines with the tomato sauce and keeps the top layer juicy.
180°C fan is the right temperature
At 180°C fan (200°C conventional) the bake comes out golden brown in 25 to 30 minutes. A higher temperature burns the cheese before the egg and cream mixture sets. A lower temperature prevents the binding from firming up and the bake falls apart when served. The baking time depends on how deep you fill the dish. A shallow dish needs 25 minutes, a deeper one needs the full 30.
Basil goes on after baking
Wash fresh basil, tear it and scatter it over the hot bake just before serving. Do not bake it, or it will turn black and bitter. The heat from the bake is enough to release the aroma. Dried basil does not work here, the flavour is too strong and overpowers the tomato sauce.
Preparation and storage
You can prepare the bake right up to the point of putting it in the oven. Mix the pasta with the egg and cream, fold in the meat, pour over the tomato sauce and add the cheese. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge for up to 4 hours. Remove the cling film and place directly into the preheated oven. The baking time does not increase even if the bake goes in cold.
Goes well with: Parmesan.
Leftovers keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Reheat in the microwave at medium power, not in the oven. The oven dries out the pasta. Freezing does not work as the egg and cream mixture turns watery and separates when thawed.
More bake ideas: Tomato Mozzarella Pasta Bake uses cream cheese instead of egg and cream. Broccoli Pesto Farfalle shows how vegetables can become a sauce. And for dessert: Quick Orange Tiramisu.
