Vegetarian Baked Pasta 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

5 INGREDIENT VEGETARIAN OVEN-BAKED PASTA

5 Ingredient Vegetarian Oven-Baked Pasta image

Try this hearty vegetarian oven-baked pasta casserole. It's a simple recipe with just 5 everyday ingredients and it's ready for the oven in no time.

Provided by Jolinda Hackett

Categories Entree Dinner

Time 45m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

1 (16-ounce) package pasta (such as penne, rigatoni, ziti, or medium shells)
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 (26-ounce) jar vegetarian marinara sauce
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 722 kcal, Carbohydrate 103 g, Cholesterol 59 mg, Fiber 7 g, Protein 33 g, SaturatedFat 10 g, Sodium 1075 mg, Fat 19 g, ServingSize 4 servings, UnsaturatedFat 7 g

BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables image

Provided by Giada De Laurentiis

Categories main-dish

Time 1h5m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.