Gameday Recipe: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
With the cold weather starting up in New England, this meal is the perfect fix. It is easy, delicious and — with a little pre-game prep work — you won’t miss a minute of today’s Patriots game while making it.
If you have picky eaters who do not like the vegetables listed, switch things up. Just about any vegetable you want to add will work in this meal.
Photo courtesy of FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients:
- 2 red peppers, cored and cut into thin pieces
- 2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into cubes
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and Pepper
- Italian herb mix
- 1 pound of penne pasta
- 3 cups of marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
- 1 cup of grated fontina cheese
- 1/2 cup of grated smoked mozzarella
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons of butter
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Before the game, chop up peppers, zucchini and onion (or whatever vegetables you decide to use), and place on a baking sheet. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of Italian herb mix. Roast the vegetables in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender.
At the same time, bring a large pot of water to boil. When it boils, put your penne into the pot. Since you are baking the pasta afterward, only cook it for about six minutes.
The down time during these two steps is perfect to grate the cheese.
Once your pasta is cooked and drained and your vegetables are roasted, toss both into a large bowl. Add the fontina, mozzarella and the marinara sauce, and season with salt and pepper as necessary.
Once the ingredients are combined, pour them into a 9 by 13-inch greased pan. Top the dish with the parmesan cheese and pieces of butter scattered throughout so that you get a crunchy topping.
At this point, you can cover the pasta with tin foil and stick it in your refrigerator for a while. When there is about a half hour remaining in the game, put the dish into the oven until the top is golden and the cheese melts.
This recipe is adapted from Giada De Laurentiis.
