Oven Roasted Veggie Pasta

Do you know any picky eaters? I don't mean the "Oh, I don't like asparagus" type of people. I mean the "You want me to eat what? What do you mean there are vegetables other than potatoes?" kind of people. Personally, I love veggies of all types, and that's why one of my favorite pasta dishes is my aunt's Roasted Veggie Pasta. When I witnessed my 3 and 5 year old cousins devouring this dish I knew this was the perfect recipe for picky eaters. This pasta is full of good for you veggies, which makes it the perfect dish to ensure your picky eater is consuming delicious, nutritious food without catching on that that they just ate 4 different types of veggies, none of which was a potato. 

Roasted Veggie Pasta

by my aunt (my changes in italics)

1/2 a Zucchini, diced

1/2 a Yellow Squash, diced

1/2 a Bell Pepper, diced (I used a red bell pepper)

1/2 cup of Carrots, small julienne

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp dried Parsley

1 tsp dried Oregano

1 tsp dried Basil

1 tsp crushed Red Pepper (this may be omitted if you don't want the added spice)

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 cups Pasta Sauce (I used the pasta sauce I had on hand)

2 cups Pasta, cooked (I used penne but any tubular pasta will work)

1 cup Italian Cheese (I happened to have a bag of Italian six cheese blend)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

In an oven safe casserole dish, toss the chopped veggies in olive oil and spices until well coated. Roast the veggies in the oven for about 40 to 50 minutes, stirring half way through to ensure even roasting. Once the veggies are finished roasted, stir the cooked pasta and pasta sauce into the veggies. Top with shredded cheese and cover, placing the dish back in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and the pasta is heated through. 

Serve warm with garlic bread.