Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) and lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
Finely dice the red onion and chop the garlic. Stir both into the chopped tomatoes with the oregano.
Pre-cook the chickpea pasta in plenty of salted water for 2 min less than the packet says, drain, fold into the tomato sauce and add the baby spinach. Mix briefly until the spinach just wilts.
Tip everything into the baking dish and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle over the vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
Bake at 180 °C fan for 25–30 minutes, until the pasta is soft and the top is lightly golden brown. If the topping gets too dark, cover the bake for a while.
Leave to rest for a few minutes before serving. That makes the bake easier to cut and rounds off the flavour.
Good to know
A bake like this is just right when you want something warm, hearty and simple. It doesn't take much effort, yet it lands on the table well rounded and savoury.
Swaps
Baby spinach → kale (more vitamin K and a firmer bite); vegan cheese → nutritional yeast (depending on the product, provides B vitamins and avoids additives); chickpea pasta → lentil pasta (similar protein content, slightly different flavour); red onion → shallot (milder)
Allergens
Contains almonds (tree nuts) if you use almond-based vegan cheese; with nutritional yeast, the dish is nut-free. Suits children well with a soft texture, and fine in pregnancy with fresh, well-washed ingredients.
