Pasta Bean Bake

Ingredients

• 800 g ripe tomatoes
• 0.5 chili pepper
• 1 large onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 pinch sugar
• dried oregano
• 1 tsp dark balsamic vinegar
• 500 g macaroni
• Salt
• butter (for the pan)
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 2 slices ciabatta or baguette (≈60 g)
• 35 g pine nuts
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 can white beans (drained weight ≈460 g)
• 80 g arugula
• 1 tbsp capers (jarred)
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan
• 100 g grated Bergkäse
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the tomatoes, cut off the stem ends and dice the flesh. Wash the chili, halve it lengthwise, remove seeds and white membranes, then chop finely. Peel the onion and garlic and dice both finely. Heat olive oil in a pot and sauté the onion, garlic, and chili. Stir in tomato paste, cook briefly, then add diced tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and oregano; cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, finishing with balsamic vinegar.

2. 2.

   Cook the pasta according to package instructions in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain about 4 minutes before the end of cooking time. Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan. Grease a large baking dish (≈30×15 cm) with butter.

3. 3.

   Peel and finely dice the garlic.

4. 4.

   Grind ciabatta and pine nuts in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Mix crumbs, garlic, and olive oil together. Drain and rinse beans; set aside. Wash arugula, dry, trim stems, and roughly chop. Layer macaroni, beans, tomato sauce, capers, arugula, and Parmesan in the dish. Sprinkle with grated Bergkäse and top with butter shards. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden. Serve with a fresh salad.