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Pasta in tomato sauce with bell pepper, zucchini, spinach, and topped with cheese..
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5 from 8 votes

Vegetable Pasta Bake

This is the best Vegetable Pasta Bake recipe, loaded with fresh veggies, like red bell pepper, zucchini, and spinach. It’s cooked together in a flavorful creamy blush sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese, and then baked to perfection until the flavors are melted together.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 357kcal

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces dried pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper cored, diced
  • 1 zucchini diced
  • 4 cups spinach
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • salt, pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400F.
  • Boil a pot of water and cook the pasta according to the instructions until al dente. When done, drain and set aside.
  • While the pasta is cooking, preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and cored and diced red bell pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the pepper is tender. Then add diced zucchini and cook for about 2 more minutes.
  • Then add 28 oz crushed tomatoes, and seasoning (½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste). Stir everything in.
  • Add ⅓ cup heavy cream and stir again until well combined.
  • Bring it to boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Then stir in cooked pasta and spinach.
  • Transfer everything to a 9x13-inch baking dish, top with 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, and bake at 400F for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Notes

  • Pasta. When boiling pasta, make sure to cook it only until al dente. Since after boiling, we are going to bake it in the sauce, it will continue to cook and absorb liquids.
  • Make ahead of time. You can prep the whole casserole, cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 1-2 days. When ready to serve, just top it with the cheese and bake according to the instructions.
  • How to store? You can refrigerate the leftovers in an air-tight container for about 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 319mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3197IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 3mg