Roasted Veggie Pasta Bake

Family-friendly baked pasta can be made a day ahead and baked before dinner. A big hit in my family! The roasted vegetables add a lot of depth of flavor. You could add frozen spinach (defrosted) but my kids won't touch it with spinach.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 567 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 (14 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 onion, cut into 1-inch squares
• 1 small summer squash, thinly sliced
• 1 eggplant, thinly sliced
• ¾ pound penne pasta

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Step 2

Spread the onion, summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and red bell pepper out onto two baking sheets with rims; drizzle vegetables with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Step 3

Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven until soft and starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes; stir and turn over vegetables after about 10 minutes of baking. Decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 4

While vegetables are roasting, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Step 5

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish. In a saucepan, mix together the Alfredo sauce with chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce mixture into a large bowl, and stir in the roasted vegetables, penne pasta, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish; sprinkle top evenly with breadcrumbs. Cover the dish.

Step 6

Bake in the hot oven until mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover, and sprinkle top of casserole with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheeses; return to oven, and bake until the top is lightly browned and the cheese has melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.