Baked Pasta with Ricotta and Roasted Vegetables

Simple and hearty baked pasta is mixed with ricotta cheese, roasted vegetables and store-bought jarred marinara sauce. This pasta makes a great weeknight meal and a great way to feed kids a ton of vegetables.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 lb penne pasta (rigatoni or ziti pasta)
• 2-1/2 lb vegetables; such as bell pepper, squash, onion, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, etc (cut up)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• 8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
• 24 oz jarred marinara sauce

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to broil.
2. 2Slice the vegetables into thick strips, and put them on a large baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tbsp of oil and season with salt & pepper. Toss well. Spread the vegetables evenly without crowding them. If needed, use two sheets. Place the sheet 6-inch below the heat source and broil for 10 minutes
3. 3Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the package direction but 1 minute less.
4. 4In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and the parsley. Mix well.
5. 5Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
6. 6In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, roasted vegetables, and the marinara sauce; mix well.
7. 7In a 9x13 greased baking pan, put 1/2 the amount of pasta on the bottom. Spread the ricotta cheese mixture evenly and sprinkle 1/2 the amount of mozzarella cheese. Cover with the remaining pasta and mozzarella cheese on top. Bake the past for 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.