Pasta al Forno with Roasted Vegetables

Name: Pasta al Forno with Roasted Vegetables
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 medium zucchini or summer squash; 1 dark purple eggplant; 1 red onion; 3 peeled garlic cloves; 2 pounds (900 grams) mixed fresh mushrooms; 4 teaspoons kosher salt; freshly ground black pepper; 1 pound (455 grams) dried ziti or other short sturdy pasta shape; 3 cups (680 grams) grated tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes; Juice of ½ lemon; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 8 ounces (225 grams) low-moisture mozzarella cheese; ½ cup (60 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

User Reviews

5.0

9 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings
8 servings
Calories
506 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian

Pasta al Forno with Roasted Vegetables

Megan Mendez

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This Pasta al Forno with Roasted Vegetables and is like a crusty, cheesy pasta primavera. It's very vegetable forward and uses a combination of simple, fresh ingredients with big flavors to yield the perfect pasta casserole for summer.

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Ingredients

Servings

Roasted Vegetables:

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 1 pound/455 grams), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into small wedges
1 dark purple eggplant (about 1 pound/455 grams) such as violetta lunga, cut into ¾-inch dice
1 red onion halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced into thin half-rings
3 peeled garlic cloves lightly crushed
2 pounds (900 grams) mixed fresh mushrooms (such as portobello, chanterelle, cremini, shiitake, and oyster)
4 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Pasta:

1 pound (455 grams) dried ziti or other short sturdy pasta shape
3 cups (680 grams) grated tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes (see recipe notes)
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for the baking dish
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces (225 grams) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced
½ cup (60 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese

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Instructions

To make the roasted vegetables: Heat the oven to 425°F and place the oven racks in the upper and lower third.
Combine the zucchini, eggplant, onion, and garlic in a large sheet pan. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat them thoroughly.
Cut the mushrooms into big pieces or thick slices and spread out in large sheet pan. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.
Place the pan of mushrooms on the top oven rack and the mixed vegetables on the bottom rack. Roast both for 15 minutes, then toss each with a spatula and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan of mushrooms after a total of 30 minutes. They should be tender and browned, and the ones around the edges of the pan are lightly crisped. Stir the mixed vegetables once more after the initial 30 minutes and roast for an additional 15 minutes, for a total of 45 minutes. They should be tender and nicely browned in spots. Set the roasted mushrooms and vegetables aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (3 ½ to 4 quart volume) with olive oil.
While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt generously. Add the pasta, stir to separate, and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions until not quite al dente (it should be slightly underdone, because it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the drained pasta to the empty pot and set aside.
Put the grated tomatoes in a medium bowl and stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables and the roasted mushrooms. Add 2 cups of the tomato-lemon mixture and gently toss to combine thoroughly. Add a splash or two of pasta cooking water if needed to loosen up the sauce.
Spoon half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the sliced mozzarella over the pasta. Spoon the remaining pasta on top, and cover with the remaining mozzarella. Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the mozzarella and sprinkle the Parmigiano on top.
Cover the dish with greased foil (greased side down) and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the top is nicely browned and crisp around the edges. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

To grate the tomatoes, cut them in half, trim the stem, scoop out the seeds with your fingers, and grate them with the cut side against the large holes of a box grater until only the skin is left in your palm. I recommend grating them directly into a bowl to catch all the juices.
If you have too much pasta and vegetables to fit in your baking dish, you can divide it up between a couple of baking dishes. Just fill the baking dish about halfway with pasta mixture, top with cheese, more pasta, etc. as the recipe instructs until you reach the top. Then repeat with the remaining ingredients in another (smaller) baking dish as needed.
To make ahead, roast the mixed vegetables and mushrooms and prepare the grated tomato sauce up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate in sealed containers. Then when you are ready, boil the pasta, mix, assemble and bake. Although you could assemble the entire casserole in advance and refrigerate before baking, the results will be better if you do it this way and it still saves a bunch of time day of.
Adapted from The Glorious Vegetables of Italy

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 506kcal (25%) Carbohydrates 62g (21%) Protein 22g (44%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 20mg (7%) Sodium 1083mg (45%) Potassium 779mg (22%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 10g (20%)