I know… this isn’t really ziti; that is something that always happens to me. I woke up one day and decided (in a jiff as I often do) to cook something and then (usually when it’s just too late in the game) I realized I’m missing a center ingredient to make the dish. … So I don’t have ziti…never mind I’ll use shell pasta and make just the same recipe, and it worked (actually it was even better), because the pockets were filled with sauce and tasted really good. Maybe we should change officially this dish. Instead of ziti use shell pasta…or maybe not.
Anyway what could go wrong with pasta and sauce combined with two types of cheese and baked in the oven? My hubby, on the other hand, is taking my blog title “chef Wanabe” very seriously. When I was putting the tomatoes on top he said; can you “Hold” the tomatoes on mine please? And sometimes he calls me with special requests like I’m his personal chef or something. He is lucky I love him or I would “86” him.
Baked Ziti With Roasted Vegetables
- Ingredients
- 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
- 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Cremini or button mushrooms, halved
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
- 1 pound pasta
- 3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
- 1 cup grated Fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2-teaspoon salt, 1/2-teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.
- In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2-teaspoon salt, and 1/2-teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
