Baked Roasted Vegetable Pasta is a flavorful blend of oven roasted veggies tossed with cooked pasta and tangy tomato basil/marinara sauce. These are then layered with cheese and baked until cheese melts and is golden brown. Baking provides this dish a nice crusty top layer which takes the taste and texture of this dish to the next level and so highly recommend it. I prefer to roast the veggies in the oven as that way when am cooking my sauce and boiling my pasta my veggies are cooking too. But you could also roast them on a pan over a stove-top. I like using dry herbs with the veggies as the chances of these burning (in the oven) are less.
Ever since I started making pasta, vegetable pasta was my go to recipe. But sometime back I came across a recipe from Food Network where the pasta was topped with cheese and baked. Gave it a try and we totally loved it. Have been baking this dish ever since keeping rest of my recipe version same. Pasta veggies and cheese makes the perfect combination for a hearty family meal and is even suitable for those potluck and parties.
Now to the recipe:
Step by Step Method:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and then season it with salt. Now Add the pasta to it and cook till Al-dente about 10 -15 mins. Reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta water and drain the remaining. Rinse the pasta. Once all the water has drained transfer the pasta back to the pot. Keep aside.
For roasted veggies:
For the Pasta Sauce:
In a saucepan, heat the oil and butter on medium-low until the butter melts. Then add the bay leaf and minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Now add the onions and saute until golden brown and soft. Then add the diced tomatoes and cook for about 10 mins covered on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft.
Add tomato paste along with 1 cup of starchy pasta water (or normal water). Stir well and simmer for about 10 mins. Then add the Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix and cover and cook for about 20 mins on medium low or until the sauce has thickened and reduced. Usually the sauce will sweeten as you cook but if you want to cut the sourness add some sugar. Now add the fresh basil leaves and cook for about 5 mins more. That's its, Pasta Sauce is ready. Keep aside.
For Assembling the Pasta :
To the pot of pasta add the roasted veggies along with the thawed green peas and corn. Then add the pasta sauce and about ½ cup of Mexican cheese blend. Mix well.
Lower the oven temperature to 375F. Now grease a 9X13 inch baking dish with some cooking oil spray or butter and transfer the pasta into it. Spread the pasta evenly. Now sprinkle evenly the remaining ½ cup of mixed Mexican cheese blend followed by mozzarella. Top it up with some dry parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Bake for about 20-30 mins of until the cheese has melted and is slightly golden brown.
Baked Roasted Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups Penne pasta (or any of your choice)
- ½ cup green peas (using frozen)
- ½ cup corn kernels (using frozen)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (using Mexican blend of 4 cheese : Monterey Jack, Medium Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla and Asadero Cheese)
- ½ cup shredded mozarella
- ½ tablespoon
dry parsley flakes
- ½ tablespoon dry Italian seasoning
- Roasted Veggies
(as below)
- Pasta Sauce (as below)
For Roasted Veggies:
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup yellow squash, chopped in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup broccoli florets,
- 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped in 1 inch pieces
- ¼ cup carrots, chopped in ½ inch circles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dry rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon
dry oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon
dry parsley flakes
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the Pasta sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 10-15
fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon red chilli flakes (or to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cooking Pasta
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and then season it with salt. Add the pasta to it and cook till Al-dente about 10 -15 mins. Reserve about a cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the remaining. Rinse the pasta. Once all the water has drained transfer the pasta back to the pot. Keep aside.
For roasted veggies:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and add the chopped veggies on it.
- Sprinkle oil, salt, pepper, dry rosemary, dry oregano and dry parsley flakes and mix well.
- Bake for about 15 mins. The veggies should be ¾th cooked (as they will cook later when we bake them with pasta). Our Veggies are done. Keep them aside.
For the Pasta Sauce:
- In a saucepan, heat the oil and butter on medium-low until the butter melts. Then add the bay leaf and minced garlic and saute for about a minute.
- Now add the onions and saute until golden brown and soft.
- Next add the diced tomatoes and cook for about 10 mins covered on medium heat until the tomatoes are soft.
- Stir in tomato paste along with 1 cup of starchy pasta water, talian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper and simmer for 20-25 mins medium low or until the sauce has thickened and reduced.
- Usually the sauce will sweeten as you cook but if you want to cut the sourness add some sugar.
- Tear in the fresh basil leaves and cook for about 5 mins more. That's its, Pasta Sauce is ready. Keep aside
For Assembling the Pasta
- To the pot of pasta add the roasted veggies along with the thawed green peas and corn. Then add the pasta sauce and about ½ cup of Mexican cheese blend. Mix well.
- Lower the oven temperature to 375F.
- Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish with some cooking oil spray or butter and transfer the pasta into it. Spread the pasta evenly.
- Sprinkle evenly the remaining ½ cup of mixed Mexican cheese blend followed by mozzarella (you can also add bread crumbs). Top it up with some dry parsley flakes and Italian seasoning. Bake for about 20-30 mins of until the cheese has melted and is slightly golden brown.
Notes
- If you plan to cook the pasta ahead of time then after draining the water coat it with 1 -2 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other.
- You can add any other veggies you like e.g: mushrooms, green beans etc.
- I have used Penne, but any type of pasta would work for this recipe.
- The amount of spice and cheese can be added as per taste preference.
That's it, our hearty Baked Vegetable Pasta is ready. Serve it hot on its own or with a side of Garlic bread.
Hope you enjoy the Baked Vegetable Pasta as much as we do!! If you give this recipe a try, we did love to hear from you 
. Please let us know your rating and feedback in the comments below. Thank you!
Happy Baking!!
Shweta
What size cans of diced tomatoes & tomato paste?
Also, is there a "Print" option?
Hi Delle, Thanks for stopping by!! Its 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and 6 oz can of paste. I've updated the recipe and template to show print.
That is one delicious and tempting pasta....its soooo good!!!
This looks divine Shweta! I have been wanting to try baked pasta for sometime now. These pictures only want me to make them like NOW! 🙂
I dont mind having some anytime.
Looks super yummm........ Love this baked version!!
deliciou pot meal 🙂
Tempting baked pasta . Love it
Though the ingredients list is more, I think outcome of recipe tempts me too much... loved all ur clicks...
wow.. very much droolworthy...that cheese crust looks so yummy
looks delicious