Sunday, April 20, 2008

BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Pasta is one of my hubby's favorite dishes to have when we need a change from Indian food.I have tried many pasta dishes at home but one pasta dish we truly love is baked penne with roasted vegetables.I saw this dish made in the cooking show "Everyday Italian" and instantly fell in love with it.I love vegetables and here we get to eat 4 or more vegetables from one dish and i couldnt wait to make it.Roasting usually causes caramelization of the surface of the food, which is considered a flavour enhancement.So roasted vegetables just makes the dish taste better.Some vegetables, such as potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, turnips, parsnips, cauliflower, squash, and peppers lend themselves to roasting very well.This is one of the best ways for making kids eat vegetables.I guarantee you they will never say no again to these vegetables. This is my entry to ITALY Food Lovers Event-fav spring pasta


INGREDIENTS

Penne - 2 cups

pasta sauce-any store bought(i used simple marinara sauce)

parmasan cheese-to sprinkle on top

Fresh mozarella-cubed or shredded

VEGETABLES USED

onions-2 medium size,sliced lengthwise

zuchini-1 ,cut to same length as onion

asparagus- 4-5,chop off th tough end portion and cut the rest to same length as the rest

green and red pepper-1 each,cut lengthwise

other vegetables choices-yellow squash,eggplant,brocoli,cauliflower,carrot,cherry tomatoes


METHOD

Preheat oven to 450 deg F.Arrange vegetables on a baking sheet.I know its lot of vegetables but ones its roasted it shrinks and anyway it just makes the dish taste better.Drizle with some olive oil,salt,pepper and some italian seasonings and bake for 30 mins or until they are carmelised as shown in the photo above.

Follow box instructions and cook the pasta.Drain the water and transfer it to a large bowl.Add the roasted vegetables,pasta sauce and mozarella.Mix everything together and transfer it to a baking dish.

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.Top the dish with shredded mozarella.Bake for 15-20 mins .Sprinkle with some parmasan cheese.Let it cool a little before serving.



15 comments:

Nanditha Prabhu said...

hi ranji,
great to see some of our konkani recipes here. especially hittu made my mouth water. as you said we should be related. suma is my cousin(my mausi's daughter). How are you related to rajesh?i am also marrried to a family in kodungalloor like suma:)
eager to know more .. will stop here more often

Dhivya said...

wonderful pasta recipe ranji!!!great entry!!tempting me to try

Finla said...

WOw they looks so delicious, i am really hungry here now

Mansi said...

that looks good ranji! bet you all enjoyed your pasta:)

Uma said...

what a great entry! Love pasta any time. good recipe.

Anonymous said...

It's such a healthy dish Ranji. Is there any measurement for cheese or just add how much ever we like.

ranji said...

nanditha prabhu..welcome to my blog:)..happy to know we have some family ties:)

dhivya!!i hope the temptation lasts till u try it:).

happycook,uma..thank u so much

mansi..thank u..yes it was reallly delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it :)


hi madhuram,.thank u for asking...no there is no actual measurement..u can add how much ever amount u like..even though i used fat free mozarella cheese,i used very little cheese just enough to get a crust on top ,coz i didnt want anything to overpower the vegetables..

Unknown said...

I love pasta in any form..this looks delicious and healthy too..will try this

Madhavi said...

Great entry rajni, love italian food. Looks mouthwatering!!!

Unknown said...

iam drooling at ur pics:) i never get these casserole type dishes right, mainly because i dont use the right casserole dish, loved penne and the roasted veggies:) droooool:)

Divya Kudua said...

Hey ranji...pasta looks delicious..me and hubby are not quite pasta fans..but the addition of roasted veggies is very tempting..shall try it soon..

Cham said...

Cheesy pasta dish, i love ur version with roasted veggies

ranji said...

divya,madhavi,divya cham thank u very much..

roopa thank u very much...will make this or eggplant parmesan next time u come to our place:)...

kamala said...

Pasta is looking beautiful ranji

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog - this looks awesome!