Vegetable Baked Ziti
- Prep Time10 min
- Cook Time30 min
- Total Time40 min
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 cups squash (zucchini, summer squash or a mix of both), chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1tsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz ziti pasta
- 1 container part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1¼ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- scant ⅛ tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 jar marinara sauce or 3 cups Sunday Red Sauce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 F. Toss the squash, carrots and broccoli with the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (you may need two sheets.) Roast for 35-40 minutes until just tender.
While the vegetables are cooking, make the ziti. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the ziti. Cook until just al dente, then drain but do not rinse.
In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, cheese, egg, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, nutmeg, crushed red pepper flakes, and a few cracks of freshly ground pepper. Add the vegetables and pasta to the cheese mixture and stir until just combined.
Reduce oven to 350 F. Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce in a 9X13-inch baking dish, enough to cover the bottom. Add the ziti mixture and cover with remaining sauce. Top with ¾ cup mozzarella. Lightly tent with foil sot hat the cheese doesn’t stick to the foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 15 minutes until bubbly and hot. Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before serving.
