Cheesy Vegetarian Pasta Casserole Food

EASY VEGETABLE BAKED PASTA

Easy Vegetable Baked Pasta image

Vegetable baked pasta loaded with veggies, pockets of ricotta cheese, and topped with melty mozzarella. The vegetables you use can be adapted based on seasonality, check our article above for more suggestions. For a vegan variation, leave out the ricotta and mozzarella and instead stir a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast into the marinara sauce.

Provided by Adam and Joanne Gallagher

Categories Dinner

Time 30m

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 pound dried pasta; try penne, rigatoni, or ziti pasta
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, about 6 ounces
2 small bell peppers, about 8 ounces
8 ounces mushrooms, 1 1/4 cups sliced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds or ground fennel, see notes
3 cups marinara sauce or use 1 (28-ounce) jar store-bought sauce
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 cups coarsely shredded cheese; try mozzarella, fontina cheese or an Italian blend
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Steps:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have an oven-safe 12-inch deep skillet, you can cook the veggies and bake the pasta in it. If you do not, prepare a 3-quart baking dish by lightly greasing with olive oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and then cook the pasta. Check the package for cook time, but cook the pasta two minutes less than what is recommend on the box (it will continue to cook in the oven). Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Slice the onions and bell peppers into 1/4-inch thick slices.
Using a damp paper towel, brush all dirt from mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Chop into 1/4-inch slices or, if there are larger mushrooms like portobello, cut into 1/4-inch cubes.
Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil then add the mushrooms, in one layer, and cook until browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir then add the onions and peppers. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the veggies are starting to soften and have some browned edges. Season to taste with salt and black pepper (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon of each).
Stir the fennel, marinara sauce, and basil into the vegetables. If your skillet is large enough, toss in the pasta and if the mixture seems dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. If the skillet is too small, combine the sauce and pasta in a bowl. Adjust with pasta water, and then add to a baking dish.
Taste the pasta and adjust with more salt and pepper. Tuck spoonfuls of ricotta around the pasta, and then top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake the pasta, uncovered, until the cheese melts and is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1/8 of the dish, Calories 354, Fat 5.9g, SaturatedFat 1.6g, Cholesterol 13mg, Sodium 731.4mg, Carbohydrate 54.5g, Fiber 5.2g, Sugar 8.9g, Protein 20.3g

ONE POT CREAMY VEGGIE PASTA

One Pot Creamy Veggie Pasta image

This luxurious creamy veggie pasta is made in just one pot - the pasta is cooked right in with the sauce! An easy, crowd-pleasing dinner.

Provided by Becca Heyes

Categories Main meals

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

325 g (~ 11 1/2 oz) dried pasta
1 bell pepper, (sliced or diced (I used orange))
~ 5 medium mushrooms, (sliced)
130 g (~ 3/4 cup) frozen peas
125 g (~ 3/4 cup) frozen sweetcorn
700 ml (~ 3 scant cups) milk
400 ml (~ 2 scant cups) vegetable stock
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
150 g cheddar cheese, (grated (~ 1 1/2 cups when grated))
Salt
Black pepper
Fresh chives, (to serve (optional))

Steps:

Add the pasta to a large saucepan, along with the vegetables, milk, veggie stock, and dried herbs. Mix well to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for around 15 minutes, until the pasta is cooked and the sauce has thickened. You'll need to stir regularly, especially when the pasta is nearly cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat, and add the grated cheese and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix well until the cheese has melted to produce a thick, glossy sauce. Serve topped with fresh chives, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 portion, Calories 597 kcal, Carbohydrate 76.6 g, Protein 29.9 g, Fat 18.9 g, SaturatedFat 10.2 g, Cholesterol 124 mg, Sodium 398 mg, Fiber 3.4 g, Sugar 11.5 g

CHEESY PASTA CASSEROLE

Cheesy Pasta Casserole image

This rich, cheesy side dish is such an excellent meal extender that I always keep it in mind whenever I feel my menu needs a boost. It's a quick and easy casserole to fix, and you can easily double the recipe to feed a larger crowd.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 50m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

5 cups uncooked egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1-1/3 cups milk
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1-1/2 teaspoons butter, melted

Steps:

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, garlic salt and onion salt until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add the cheese, stirring until melted. Stir in the noodles. , Transfer to a greased shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 334 calories, Fat 17g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 74mg cholesterol, Sodium 701mg sodium, Carbohydrate 30g carbohydrate (6g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 14g protein.