Veggie Pasta Bake
I found a recipeĀ over at Polywig.com (site no longer exists) while doing my daily browse through food-photo sites. The photos made it so enticing with all of it’s vegetables and melted cheesy goodness… it instantly went onto my “to cook” list.
This week I was in the mood for a hearty pasta dish so I pulled this one from the list. It’s pretty tasty and I’ve been eating it happily for the past couple of days but it’s not exactly mind blowing (not like the Asian Sticky Wings or anything). I’d probably rate the recipe a 7 out of 10 but I still wanted to post it because the recipe has good bones. You could add any number of things to transform it into a truly spectacular dish. I might, for instance, add a can of tomato sauce next time for a little more saucy tomato punch. If you’re into canned “cream of” soups, that would act as a great binder and bring everything together nicely too.
Oh, and BTW, Whole Milk mozzarella is absolutely crucial. Most mozzarella that you see in the store is part skim and truly has only part of the flavor as a result. Whole milk mozzarella is usually packaged in a square block, not a long rectangle like most cheese blocks. Don’t be tempted to substitute.
Veggie Pasta Bake
Veggie Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb macaroni ($1.12)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.21)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.06)
- 1 medium onion ($0.36)
- 8 oz button mushrooms ($1.98)
- 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes ($0.86)
- 10 oz pkg frozen spinach ($0.96)
- 16 oz whole milk mozzarella ($3.22)
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese ($0.47)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs ($0.18)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.05)
- to taste salt and pepper ($0.05)
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water and cook the macaroni noodles according to the package directions (boil for 10-15 minutes or until al dente). Drain and set aside until ready to use.
- Chop the onion and mince the garlic cloves. Cook both in a large skillet in 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until soft (about 5 min.). Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they are soft and brown in color (a dash of salt will help).
- Preheat the oven to 350. Add the undrained can of tomatoes and the thawed package of spinach to the skillet. I did not drain either one so that the juices would add more flavor. Heat all of the vegetables through then season to taste with salt, fresh ground pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and red pepper flakes (or whatever seasonings you like).
- Stir the cooked vegetables into the pasta (I used the original pasta pot as it was the only thing large enough to hold everything). Dice the mozzarella into small chunks. Combine the parmesan and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Add the mozzarella and parmesan mixture to the pasta and stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Coat a large glass baking dish with non-stick spray and transfer the pasta mixture into it. Cover the dish with foil (to keep the top from drying) and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheese has fully melted.
Step By Step Photos
Cook the pasta (boil water, add pasta, boil ’till soft), drain and reserve until ready to assemble the casserole.
This recipe starts with onion, garlic and olive oil… as do many delicious recipes. Cook ’em till they are soft.
Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to cook until they are soft, brown and have released their juices (a dash of salt helps this along).
Add the can of tomatoes and the thawed spinach. I didn’t bother to drain either because I wanted all of the flavor they had to offer.
Mix the veggies together and heat through. Is this not a gorgeous mix of vegetables? Quite flavorful too!
Stir the cooked veggies into the pasta. The juices from the vegetables will help loosen up the pasta if it has gotten stuck together.
Dice the mozzarella up into small pieces. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly distributed the cheese will be throughout the casserole.
Mix together the parmesan and bread crumbs in a separate bowl then add them to the pasta along with the mozzarella.
Stir it all up and do everything you can not to dive into the pot face first… because it looks that delicious.
Pour the whole mix into a well oiled baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover with foil to keep the pasta on top from drying out.
Eat and enjoy.
I only cook for one. Do you have any tips for how I can make this (and casseroles alike) without having to eat it for leftovers all week?
Many casseroles, soups, and stews freeze great. I just try to avoid freezing casseroles with creamy sauces (cheese is fine, just usually not a creamy sauce). I freeze my recipes in one serving portions so that I always have a rotating stock of choices in my freezer that I can just pull out and reheat for my meal instead of eating the same thing all week.
Is it possible that I could add some ground sausage? Thanks, Beth!! :-)
I think that would work well. :)
Beth may I use smoked mozzarella for this recipe?
TIA
Yes, I think that would be delicious!
How can I sub the bread crumbs?
You can top with just the Parmesan cheese, if needed.
Thank you so much for all of your recipes! I use them almost exclusively!! I was wondering if you could suggest any tips to doing this without the cheese? Thank you:)
It might be good with hummus mixed in as a sauce!
Have this in the oven as I write this! I did halve the cheese, as cheese is really expensive. The amount of cheese you called for would easily be $8-$10 so I used half the amount in shredded form. :)
I think I have enough to feed a whole country though! lol
spicy! and really filling! :] I used fresh spinach and it was quite tasty. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
This recipe is amazing! Thank you
Thank you so much for making this recipe. I am glad you enjoyed it. If you want it creamier I would add some sort of spicy bechamel to even cook with or drizzle over ;)
Made this tonight and it was delicious. Thanks for all the great recipes! It was great making something that I already had most of the ingredients for.
This one is a winner. I will try to make it. Yummy yummy!
You could add a creamy texture to this by adding some cream cheese or cream. A sauce would add a lot to all these wonderful flavors. You wouldn’t even need to bake it then…it could be a stove-top dish. Just imagining the possibilities! :)
I know what I making for dinner tonight!!!
This recipe could so use some bacon.. or prosciutto.