I was a vegetarian (really, a lacto-ovo pescatarian) for several months before getting pregnant with Benjamin. It felt good and was pretty easy, partly since we were living in San Francisco at the time (good fish, a lot of vegetarian options on menus). But I found that I got kind of bored with the lack of recipes I was finding. Of course, at the time I wasn't nearly as good at finding recipes.
And although I feel like it would be fun to try going back to my lacto-ovo pescatarian diet, I feel like now's not necessarily the time to do so. I don't want to raise my kids vegetarian. And I know Jonathan doesn't really want all vegetarian meals, all the time. So I'm going the occasional vegetarian route. And this meal is a perfect addition to that approach.
I was so excited to eat this while I was making it because it smelled so good! And I wasn't disappointed. It's filling and has a wonderfully complex flavor. As I've mentioned before, roasted vegetables simply rock and definitely add a lot to this dish.
I'm going to fiddle with the recipe a bit next time since I think it could have used more mushrooms and maybe a bit less squash. The only thing I did switch up this time was the cheese... The original recipe called for fontina and smoked mozzarella, but since both of them are pretty expensive, I went with an Italian cheese blend.
I also used homemade marinara. I really love making marinara. It makes the house smell really good and makes me feel all cozy.
Edited to add: In making this recipe again, I used the ratio of zucchini/squash to mushrooms that I've included below (which is different from the original recipe), and I really liked it better. And the picture I've included uses cavatappi instead of penne (which is also different from the original recipe). The pasta doesn't really make much of a difference, but I prefer cavatappi.
The only other thing that we noticed this time around was that the leftovers aren't as good as when it's fresh. The depth of flavor and smokiness kind of get lost over time.
Baked Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
A variation on this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved or quartered (depending on the size)
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound pasta (penne, rigatoni, cavatappi, whatever you prefer)
3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.
In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
Reduce the oven to 400ºF.
Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.
**********************************************************
Marinara Sauce
A variation on this recipe by Giada De Laurentiis
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
5 basil leaves, chopped
A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and herbs, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste.
No comments:
Post a Comment