Ever since I saw Giada making this on Food network, I have been meaning to try this. This is a dish that can make a super elegant presence on your dinner table when you have guests or for a simple weekday dinner.

Baked pasta


1 bag of Trader Joe’s Melange a trois (3 bell peppers)
1 cup of broccoli florets
1 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, sliced
2 tbsp EVOO
1 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tbsp dried Italian herb mix
1 pound whole-wheat pasta (penne or any other tubular pasta)
3 cups Marinara sauce
1/4 cup of cubed mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp butter

For the toping
1/4 cup of bread crumbs mixed with Italian herb
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Roast the veggies - peppers, broccoli, squash, and onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried herbs in the oven for about 15 minutes.

In parallel, cook the pasta in a pot of salted water for half the usual cooking time (about 6 minutes). You don’t want to cook the pasta completely as the pasta will get cooked during the baking.

Toss the drained pasta with marinara sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese so that the pasta is coated well with the sauce.

Grease a baking dish with butter (or cooking spray). Layer the roasted veggies and then the pasta. Top off with the bread crumb and cheese mixture and then the mozzarella cheese. Bake till the cheese melts and forms a golden brown layer on top.