Loaded Veggie Baked Pasta

This hearty pasta recipe is perfect for a crowd. Onions, zucchini and mushrooms sauté until they are softened. Then spinach, garlic & seasonings are added. Once the spinach wilts, marinara sauce is added then simmered. Next ¾ of the sauce is added to cooked pasta, the rest of the remaining sauce is spread into a baking pan. Then the pasta mixture is layered with ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese before covering the dish with foil and baking. After 20 minutes the foil is removed and continued baking for 20 to 25 minutes.

Course Pasta

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

1 lb ziti pasta rigatoni or penne
48 oz marinara sauce
15 oz ricotta cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
2 bell peppers chopped
2 medium zucchini chopped
8 oz mushrooms sliced
5 oz fresh spinach chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp red pepper flakes
16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Cook pasta a few minutes less than package directions.
Heat olive oil in skillet, add onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add garlic and pepper, cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add zucchini and mushrooms and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until vegetables release moisture.
Stir in spinach, cook until spinach wilts. Then stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Pour the marinara sauce into the cooked vegetables. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
In a large bowl combine pasta with ¾ of the sauce. Spread half of the pasta mixture in the baking dish. Dollop spoonfuls of half of the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese.
Top with remaining pasta, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted, bubbly and golden brown.
Rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.