Vegetable Baked Ziti recipe

One of my favorite easy dinners to make is Baked Ziti. However, in general this dish is not anything special – just pasta, cheese and sauce. So, I decided to spruce it up a bit and add some interesting flavors and great summer vegetables. I also have some vegetarian fans out there, and I have been meaning to create some tasty vegetarian recipes for a while now. This dish is so hearty that you definitely don’t miss the meat! Ingredients such as balsamic vinegar and sage add some extra flare to the recipe and they pair wonderfully with the veggies. Even if you don’t consider yourself a huge fan of eggplant, don’t leave it out! It adds so much to this dish, and you’ll be glad you included it.

3 small yellow squash, sliced into ½ inch pieces
2 medium zucchini, cut vertically and then sliced into half moon shapes
2 Portobello mushrooms, cut into medium chunks
1 small eggplant, cut into medium chunks
Half of a red onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
1 ½ cups cottage cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
16 oz ziti, cooked
2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced
1 24 oz jar pasta sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Toss all vegetables except the mushrooms in about 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
2. Add the mushrooms after the vegetables have cooked 30 minutes. Stir them around in the pan to make sure the oil and vinegar coat the mushrooms. Roast for another 15 minutes. Salt and pepper vegetables to taste after finished roasting.
3. Stir together the ricotta and cottage cheeses.
4. Stir cooked pasta together with cheeses, pasta sauce, sage and 1 teaspoon of salt..
5. When the vegetables are cooked, stir together the pasta mixture with the vegetables. Pour into a 13 x 9 casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
6. Bake for 20 minutes covered. Then, remove the foil and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the ziti. Return to oven and cook uncovered for 5-10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Note: High quality balsamic vinegar works the best with this dish.