Creamy halloumi pasta bake

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil

200g block of halloumi, cut into cubes

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

250g cherry tomatoes, halved

200ml tomato passata

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Knob of butter

Salt and pepper to taste

300g penne pasta

150ml fresh thickened cream

Handful of shredded mozzarella cheese

METHOD

In a frying pan, fry the halloumi in a splash of olive oil until golden. Remove and set aside.

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. Add a little olive oil and salt to the water. Cook pasta as per instructions on the packet minus about 2 mins. Drain and cool with cold water. Set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

In a large pan fry the garlic in some olive oil over medium-low heat until it starts to soften. Then add the herbs and the tomatoes. Keep stirring and warm though. Now add the passata, halloumi, balsamic vinegar and butter and stir to combine. Cook on a low heat for about 5 mins until tomatoes are soft. Season if needed. Now add in the pasta and the cream and stir to combine.

Place the mixture into an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake in the oven for 20 mins or until the cheese topping browns.

Serves 4