I’ve had this Veggie pasta bake in my sights for a very long time now. It is packed with vegetables – zucchini, spinach, carrots, peas, corn, onions and bell peppers PLUS I threw in a little Tofu for good measure! Despite how complex it looks, it was basically a breeze to make. And the vegetables make a very good excuse for the carbs and the cheese! Once in a while, it’s OK to loosen up people!
If you had read my post on the best (spicy) 5 minute pizza sauce + marinara – you’ll know how delicious this pasta bake is going to be. This sauce is magic, really! Turned me around on marinara.
I used Rotini, but feel free to use any of your favourite pasta shapes. Just remember to chop the vegetables to about the same size. Keeps cooking even.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but remove from heat about a minute earlier. The rotini needs 7 minutes to cook al dente but I took it out at 6 minutes. Throw in the peas, corn and carrots and let it cook in the warm pasta water. Drain them all together.
In addition to the peas, carrot and corn, I also used spinach, tofu, zucchini, onions and bell peppers (capsicum). Have these ready as the pasta cooks.
Sauté these vegetables (except spinach) in a little butter until slightly cooked. Season with salt, garlic powder and maybe a little fried red chilli flakes. Turn off heat and add in the spinach. Then comes the fun part. Toss in the cooked pasta and vegetables and douse everything in my special marinara sauce. Seriously guys, this sauce is the magical component of this dish.
Stir in half of the cheese into the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Then top with a lot of cheese. Seriously. A lot!
Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the marinara is bubbling underneath. Your Veggie Pasta Bake is done! Serve hot!
Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook says
Sounds amazing! I love pasta with veggies and cheese. I definitely will check out your marinara recipe, it sounds pretty good too.
Tina Dawson says
Thanks Melissa! It is pretty darn good! Not to mention easy-peasy!
Derek | Dad With A Pan says
This looks very simlilar to a dish my dad used to make us as a kid called spaghetti junk! I don’t know why he used that name, but this looks and sounds way better! lol
Tina Dawson says
Your dad is a GENIUS! If I was serving this to kids, that’s exactly what I’d call this! Brilliant! Thanks Derek, you just gave my dish an excellent alias to use around kids.
susan | the wimpy vegetarian.com says
This is totally up my alley. I’m not a huge tofu fan, but always add it to pasta sauces! LOVE the flavors you’ve got going on here!
Tina Dawson says
Thanks a lot Susan! I’m glad you like this!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
I love the idea of adding some tofu to a veggie casserole! I order tofu when I eat out, but I never think to make it myself!
Tina Dawson says
Sarah, it’s really easy to work with. Just remember to press out the extra liquid and you’ll have no trouble getting tofu to absorb flavours from the dish.
Christine | Vermilion Roots says
This is such a great meatless recipe. I am always finding ways to cook tofu and welcome new ideas!
Tina Dawson says
Yaay! Then you’ll love this Christine!
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
I love a good pasta bake. It is so comforting on a cold winters night, like the ones we’re having here at the moment. 🙂
Tina Dawson says
Oh yeah! Piping hot and cheesy pasta bake on a cold day!