Veggie Lovers Baked Ziti

Submitted by ctrmom

"This recipe is easily adaptable to what is on hand- fresh, frozen, or canned veggies, leftovers, meat or no meat, etc. It's always yummy. Thanks Jill! and the back of the Hunt's can."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium yellow squash or 3 medium zucchini
• 1 1⁄2 cups mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed (optional)
• 1 (26 ounce) can spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's Chunky Vegetable)
• 1 (16 ounce) jar alfredo sauce (or make your own- 2 cups)
• 12 ounces ziti pasta or 12 ounces penne, cooked and kept warm
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1⁄2 lb ground beef, browned (optional)
• nonstick cooking spray

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Heat oil on Med-hi in skillet.
3. Add squash (and optional mushrooms) and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook until squash starts to brown.
5. Add spinach (and optional broccoli); cook until water evaporates.
6. Blend the sauces into the veggies.
7. Heat through.
8. Toss with pasta, optional ground beef, and half of the cheese.
9. Coat a 13x9 pan with spray.
10. fill dish and top with leftover cheese.
11. Bake 10 min or until cheese melts.

Reviews

[PSU_Lioness]

Pretty darned tasty! As far as ease of preparation, a trained monkey could put this together. The taste was really good, too. I used penne pasta, ground beef, basil tomato pasta sauce, regular alfredo sauce, a mozzarella/cheddar cheese blend, sweet peppers, sweet onions, chopped asparagus and zucchini. It turned out great. The veggie and sauce combinations are endless and it worked well to use up produce that I had in my fridge. This can't be beat for something to throw together on a weeknight. Thanks for posting!

 

[newspapergal]

As a new mom who's just gone back to work, I'm looking for quick-to-prepare filling recipes that reheat well for lunches. This one fit the bill perfectly. I used zucchini, baby portabellos and frozen spinach. I didn't bother thawing the spinach, but just dumped it in the pan with the other veggies. I cut back on the shredded cheese a bit, and used whole-wheat penne. I made it, refrigerated it overnight, then baked it for the next night's dinner. DH & I both enjoyed, and there is enough left for several lunches.

 

[jillcdunn]

For ease this recipe can't be beat! My hungry family loves it and will eat the whole dish in one sitting. It's a favorite at our house!