Easy Vegetable Pasta Bake
- PREP 5min
- COOK 25min
- TOTAL 30min
We love this vegetable baked pasta packed 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.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) dried pasta like rigatoni or ziti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, about 6 ounces
2 small bell peppers, about 8 ounces
8 ounces mushrooms, 1 ¼ cups sliced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds or ground fennel, see notes
3 cups homemade pasta sauce or use 1 (28oz) jar of store-bought sauce
Handful of fresh basil leaves, torn or coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons (90g) ricotta cheese
2 cups (226g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). If you have an oven-safe deep skillet, you can use it to cook the veggies on the stove and bake the pasta. If not, prepare a 3-quart baking dish by lightly greasing it with olive oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta. Check the package for the recommended cooking time, but cook the pasta two minutes less than the recommended time (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 off dirt from the mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Chop into 1/4-inch slices or, if the mushrooms are larger, 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 for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir, then add the onions and peppers. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the veggies 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, pasta sauce, and basil into the vegetables. If your skillet is large enough, toss in the pasta. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Combine the sauce and pasta in a bowl if the skillet is too small. 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 vegetables, then top with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake the pasta, uncovered, until the cheese melts and is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Fennel seeds: Adds a light licorice flavor to the pasta. I use whole fennel seeds, but crack them open first to release the oils. To use it whole, crack the seeds slightly using the heel of a chef’s knife or the bottom of a frying pan.
- Vegan pasta bake: Leave the cheese out, and stir 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast into the sauce.
- Leftover baked pasta: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.