Want to stuff more vegetables into your next foray into Italian cuisine? Try this vegetarian rigatoni bake topped with divine melted cheese!
There’s just enough pasta here to satisfy your craving without overdoing it while the dish is filled with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers and more fresh, healthy produce!
Ingredients:
- 5 oz container Spinach (or 4-6 cups of loose spinach), fresh
- 10 oz container Cherry tomatoes
- 1 lg Onion, diced
- 2 Portobello mushroom caps, diced
- 1 Green bell pepper, diced
- 1 m Zucchini, diced
- 9 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 lb Rigatoni pasta
- 25 oz Pasta sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Basil, dried
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/8 cup & 1 tbs Olive oil
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400°. Toss cherry tomatoes with 1/8 cup of olive oil and place in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast at 400° for 15 minutes or until tomatoes start to wilt and burst.
- Cook rigatoni according to instructions and set aside.
- In a large skillet, combine onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, zucchini, garlic, dried basil, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté on medium high heat for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is released and vegetables have started to cook down. Add spinach and wilt (2-3 minutes), then add sauce and stir well. Add the cooked tomatoes to the sauce with the other veggies.
- Mix the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses together in a bowl. Add 1 cup of cheese mixture to the sauce/veggie skillet and stir. Combine rigatoni with sauce/veggie skillet and transfer mixture to a 13X9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.
Serves 8 | Prep Time 45 mins