Baked Pasta with Ricotta and Roasted Vegetables
Simple and healthy baked pasta is mixed with ricotta cheese, roasted vegetables and store-bought jarred marinara sauce. A great weeknight meal and it feeds kids a ton of vegetables.
Simple and healthy baked pasta with ricotta & roasted vegetables makes a great weeknight meal. Roast veggies are sweet and mellow and perfect to add to the pasta. Enjoy with creamy ricotta cheese and marinara sauce in a baked pasta form.
This baked pasta is a great way to feed kids a ton of vegetables. Once vegetables roasted, they become mellow and almost sweet, they will love how it tastes with cheese.
What vegetables are suitable for roasting?
Any root vegetables, like potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and carrots, are great when it comes to roasting. From crucifers like broccoli and Brussels sprouts to surprises like zucchini, onions, bell peppers, and cabbage are great choice, too.
I use red bell pepper and some squash. Even tomatoes are great to roast. I highly recommend to include the onion when you roast the veggies. The onion will add even more sweetness to the dish you are going to make.
Do not crowd the vegetables when you are roasting
Spread the vegetables out onto a baking sheet. You want to see a bit of space around the veggies — don’t be afraid to split them between two baking sheets if needed.
Crowding will make the vegetables steam instead of roast, and that’s the opposite of what we’re going for.
What temperature is ideal to roast vegetables?
The best temperature for roasting vegetables is between 400°F and 450°F, with 425ºF being the temperature we call for most often.
You can also use broiler to roast for more tender vegetables like squash, peppers, tomatoes, onion, etc. It takes shorter time and brown quickly. Set your broiler pan 6-inch below the heat source.
What type of pasta should I use?
I recommend any short pasta, such as penned, rigatoni, or ziti. They will get mixed easily with the chunks of vegetables and the sauce.
More delicious family dinner recipes
- Thick Homemade Spaghetti Sauce (A Big Batch Recipe)
- Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Drumsticks (Easy 25 Minute Recipe)
- Devil’s Chicken (Pollo Diablo)
- Ground Beef Bulgogi (Korean Beef Bowl)
Baked Pasta with Ricotta and Roasted Vegetables
Recipe Video
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
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- Slice 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
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the package direction but 1 minute less.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and the parsley. Mix well.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, roasted vegetables, and the marinara sauce; mix well.
- In a 9×13 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.
Wanted to give a 5 star rating!
Great recipe! Everybody in our house loved it. Loved the fact that you can add any veggies. I like to make 1 pot meals and this fit the bill. Will definitely be a family favorite recipe.
Love baked pasta! So much comfort in one dish. 🙂 This looks great — love the idea of roasting the veggies. Thanks!