Roasted Veggie Pasta Bake

Roasted Veggie Pasta Bake

"Even the kids will eat their vegetables when they see this casserole of roasted summer squash, zucchini, and eggplant, combined in a creamy sauce with penne pasta, and baked with cheese."

Ingredients:

1 onion, cut into 1-inch squares 1 small summer squash, thinly sliced 1 small zucchini, thinly sliced 1 eggplant, thinly sliced 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks 2 tablespoons olive oil, or as needed salt and ground black pepper to taste

3/4 pound penne pasta 1 (16 ounce) jar Alfredo sauce 1 (14 ounce) can low-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees .
2.	Spread the onion, summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and red bell pepper out onto two baking sheets with rims; drizzle vegetables with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
3.	Roast the vegetables in the preheated oven until soft and starting to brown, 20 to 25 minutes; stir and turn over vegetables after about 10 minutes of baking. Decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees .
4.	While vegetables are roasting, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
5.	Grease a 2-quart casserole dish. In a saucepan, mix together the Alfredo sauce with chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Pour the sauce mixture into a large bowl, and stir in the roasted vegetables, penne pasta, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese until thoroughly combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole dish; sprinkle top evenly with breadcrumbs. Cover the dish.
6.	Bake in the hot oven until mixture is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover, and sprinkle top of casserole with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheeses; return to oven, and bake until the top is lightly browned and the cheese has melted, 5 to 10 more minutes