Healthy Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
A healthy version of baked ziti, this is one of those recipes that is comforting and homey, but also amazingly flavorful.
Ingredients
- 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch-wide strips
- 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 cremini mushrooms, halved
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1 Tbs dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
- 1 lb penne pasta (I like whole wheat penne)
- 3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated fontina cheese
- 2 Tbs butter, cut into small pieces
Directions
- Chop all the veggies and preheat your oven to 450°.
- On a baking sheet (or in a casserole dish/large pan), toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, 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.
- Once the veggies are done, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. If you used a large casserole dish/pan to roast the veggies in, you can just dump all of the additional ingredients (pasta etc.) into that pan to mix everything together (that’s what I’d recommend!). Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
- Top the pasta with the remaining cheese (about 1/3 cup).
- Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 492
Calories from Fat 174 (35%)
(30%)Total Fat 19g
(38%)Saturated Fat 8g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 9g
(11%)Cholesterol 34mg
(38%)Sodium 900mg
(19%)Potassium 682mg
Total Carbohydrate 60g
(26%)Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugars 10g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(39%)Protein 19g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.
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The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.