Pasta Veggie Casserole (Can Be Vegan)

Submitted by Lalaloula

"This recipe for a basic no-fuss, comforting pasta bake was published in a local newspaper a few years back and had been pinned to my dad's drawer ever since for trying out. He never got around to it, so last week when visiting him, I simply made it and it turned out quite well. Ive made a few adaptions to suit our taste and hope youll like it, too. :)"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 17
• Serves: 4-6

ingredients

• 200 g whole wheat pasta (such as penne or farfalle)
• 4 -5 medium carrots, sliced
• 1⁄2 head broccoli, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 bell pepper, chopped
• 3 spring onions, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 600 ml soymilk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon paprika
• 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1⁄8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• salt and black pepper
• 50 g cheese, grated (or soy cheese)

directions

1. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente (firm to the bite). During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the sliced carrots and chopped broccoli to the pasta water. Once ready, drain and set a side.
2. In a large skillet heat the butter and then add the sliced spring onion and bell pepper. Saute for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Whisk in the 2 tbs of flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Add the milk and bring to a boil whisking frequently as to prevent lumps from forming.
3. Season the sauce with the spices adjusting amounts to your taste.
4. Place pasta and veggies in a medium size casserole dish and pour over sauce. Mix to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in the preheated oven at 200°C/375°F for 40 minutes or until nicely browned on top and bubbling.
5. Enjoy! :).

Reviews

[Alecia Pearl]

Excellent! Definitely a 5 star recipe. I love that it was creamy without any cream or butter. I would add more broccoli and carrots next time just to make it even more healthier. I used vegan cheese, forgot the rosemary and used 2 Cups of soy milk 1/2 a cup of rice milk...It was delicious. I will say my four year old didn't care for it, but my one year old did so it may not be the best dish for every kid's taste buds, but I give it five stars for sure.

 

[Karen Elizabeth]

Loved this, made it as the vegetarian dish when the family came for dinner, very tasty and a meal to enjoy at any time, lovely for guests but really nice to enjoy whenever you feel like a comfort pasta bake! I used penne pasta, I did cook my carrots a bit longer because DH prefers his vegetables not too crunchy. Taking note of Annacias review, I did increase the amount of sauce, I confess I do like a lot of sauce with pasta, and I used regular milk with a bit of cream for a good creamy and very flavourful sauce. I didn't top with cheddar, simply because I don't always fancy cheddar, I used some parmesan which doesnt show up as well as the cheddar would have, but which was very nice nonetheless. Thank you Loula, a lovely recipe which we all very much enjoyed, it was made for I Recommend tag game.

 

[Sydney Mike]

Although I made this when my vegetarian son & DIL were here for dinner one evening, I did use a milk with 2% fat! Other than that, though, your recipe was pretty much followed, though I also cut back slightly on the amount of chili powder & cayenne pepper! Very flavorful & thoroughly enjoyed by everyone! Thanks for posting it! [Tagged & made in Please Review My Recipe]

 

[loof751]

Great healthy and filling dish! Loved all the veggies - didn't miss the meat at all! I don't care for onions so left them out, and used lowfat milk instead of soy milk. Nice combination of spices in the sauce, a good complement to the veggies. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

 

[this4samonly]

followed the recipe exactly except that i used normal milk and halved the pasta as it looked as if the sauce wasnt going to be enough. kept the amount of vegetables as written.there was too much rosemary for my taste. i would halve or even quarter the amount. just personal preference.this was extremely tasty and i will make this often.