Imqarrun il-Forn (Maltese Baked Pasta)

Geraldine Bartolo

A plant based make-over of one of Malta's most loved dishes.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Course Main Course

Cuisine Maltese, Mediterranean

Servings 6 square portions

Calories 277 kcal

400 g Whole-Wheat Pasta
3 Fresh Tomatoes (medium sized) optional
600 g Vegetables I used mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower
450 g Veggie Mince or Quorn
50 g Kunserva tomato paste
700 g Tomato Polpa or passata
1 Tbs Olive Oil
2 tsp Mixed Herbs (fresh or dried) mint, parsley, basil and oregano all work well
1 tbsp Cornflour mixed with 1 tbsp water to form a slurry
70 g Vegan Grated Cheese
30 g Nutritional Yeast

Boil the pasta – cook until al dente and still quite hard in texture. Since the pasta will be oven baked, there's no need to cook it for a long period or it will turn soggy.
Meanwhile stir fry the vegetables and veggie mince.
Add kunserva, olive oil and tomato polpa to the stir fry.
Mix the stir fry with pasta and place in a glass baking dish.
Top with cheese slices, grated cheese and nutritional yeast.
Bake for 25 minutes on 180° until the top is golden brown.