This Pasta al Forno with Roasted Vegetables and is like a crusty, cheesy pasta primavera. It's very vegetable forward and uses a combination of simple, fresh ingredients with big flavors to yield the perfect pasta casserole for summer.
(This recipe was originally published in September 2013, but was updated with new photos and content in 2021).
The Italian phrase "al forno" translates to "baked" in English. There are countless ways of making pasta al forno, or baked pasta. This vegetarian version is perfect for summer. You'll definitely feel less guilt with this recipe, which uses about 4 pounds of raw vegetables (not including the tomatoes) to 1 pound of uncooked pasta.
The dish attains wonderful flavor from roasting the vegetables. The mushrooms boast an incredible umami flavor profile, while the eggplant and zucchini practically melt in your mouth along with the sweet onions and garlic.
Add some decadent cheese and you've got a really great dish that makes it easier to feed veggies to your family. Although this pasta isn't really as saucy as many other baked pasta dishes, it perfectly showcases the array of roasted vegetables, along with a raw tomato sauce that is as fresh as can be (especially if you grate your own tomatoes instead of using the canned option).
Ingredient notes
- Zucchini or Summer Squash: Use firm zucchini or summer squash with smooth, unblemished skin. About 2 medium-sized zucchini will weigh around 1 pound, which is perfect for this pasta al forno recipe.
- Eggplant: Use a dark purple Italian style eggplant (as opposed to long, thin Asian style eggplants) for this recipe. Look for a firm, medium-sized eggplant with smooth, unblemished skin.
- Mushrooms: You'll need about 2 pounds of mixed mushrooms such as portobello, chanterelle, cremini, shiitake, and oyster. It seems like a lot (and it is) but they shrink a lot when you cook them. I use a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms in these photos. You can reduce the amount of mushrooms too if you'd like a bit less veggies and more pasta in your bake.
- Cheese: This recipe uses thinly sliced, low-moisture mozzarella cheese (as opposed to the super soft fresh mozzarella you typically see in caprese salad). Purchase a block of mozzarella and slice it up yourself. You could grate it too but slicing is fast and easy and works perfectly for this pasta al forno. You'll also need either grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano for the top.
- Tomatoes: To grate the tomatoes, cut them in half, trim the stem, scoop out the seeds with your fingers, and grate them with the cut side against the large holes of a box grater until only the skin is left in your palm. I recommend grating them directly into a bowl to catch all the juices.
How to make it
Begin by making the roasted vegetables. Heat the oven to 425°F and place the oven racks in the upper and lower third.
Combine the zucchini, eggplant, red onion, and garlic in a large sheet pan. Pour olive oil over the vegetables, season with salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat them thoroughly.
Cut the mushrooms into big pieces or thick slices and spread out in large sheet pan. Pour olive oil over the vegetables, season with salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.
Place the pan of mushrooms on the top oven rack and the mixed vegetables on the bottom rack and roast, stirring a few times, until tender and browned in spots. Set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking dish with olive oil.
While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt generously. Add the pasta, stir to separate, and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions until not quite al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, then return the drained pasta to the empty pot and set aside.
Put grated tomatoes in a medium bowl or large measuring cup and stir in lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables and the roasted mushrooms. Add 2 cups of the tomato-lemon mixture and gently toss to combine thoroughly.
Spoon half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the sliced mozzarella over the pasta.
Spoon the remaining pasta on top, and cover with the remaining mozzarella. Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the mozzarella and sprinkle the Parmigiano on top.
Cover the dish with greased foil (greased side down) and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the top is nicely browned and crisp around the edges. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
If you have too much pasta and vegetables to fit in your baking dish, you can divide it up between a couple of baking dishes. Just fill the baking dish about halfway with pasta mixture, top with cheese, more pasta, etc. as the recipe instructs until you reach the top. Then repeat with the remaining ingredients in another (smaller) baking dish as needed.
To make ahead, roast the mixed vegetables and mushrooms and prepare the grated tomato sauce up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate in sealed containers. Then when you are ready, boil the pasta, mix, assemble and bake. Although you could assemble the entire casserole in advance and refrigerate before baking, the results will be better if you do it this way and it still saves a bunch of time day of.
Other recipes you may like
- Pasta with Pureed Zucchini Sauce
- Baked Pasta Bianca with Five Cheeses
- Krautfleckerl (Austrian Cabbage and Noodles)
- Healthier Veggie Mac and Cheese Primavera
- Spaghetti with Lentils, Roasted Tomatoes, and Spinach
- Spaghetti Sciuè Sciuè
- Loaf Pan Lasagna for Two (or Three)
- Corn and Tomato Pizza
- Confit Byaldi (Thomas Keller's Ratatouille)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Pasta al Forno with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables:
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 1 pound/455 grams), quartered lengthwise, then cut crosswise into small wedges
- 1 dark purple eggplant (about 1 pound/455 grams) such as violetta lunga, cut into ¾-inch dice
- 1 red onion halved lengthwise and very thinly sliced into thin half-rings
- 3 peeled garlic cloves lightly crushed
- 2 pounds (900 grams) mixed fresh mushrooms (such as portobello, chanterelle, cremini, shiitake, and oyster)
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Pasta:
- 1 pound (455 grams) dried ziti or other short sturdy pasta shape
- 3 cups (680 grams) grated tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes (see recipe notes)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for the baking dish
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces (225 grams) low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced
- ½ cup (60 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
Instructions
- To make the roasted vegetables: Heat the oven to 425°F and place the oven racks in the upper and lower third.
- Combine the zucchini, eggplant, onion, and garlic in a large sheet pan. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat them thoroughly.
- Cut the mushrooms into big pieces or thick slices and spread out in large sheet pan. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables, season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper and toss to coat thoroughly.
- Place the pan of mushrooms on the top oven rack and the mixed vegetables on the bottom rack. Roast both for 15 minutes, then toss each with a spatula and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove the pan of mushrooms after a total of 30 minutes. They should be tender and browned, and the ones around the edges of the pan are lightly crisped. Stir the mixed vegetables once more after the initial 30 minutes and roast for an additional 15 minutes, for a total of 45 minutes. They should be tender and nicely browned in spots. Set the roasted mushrooms and vegetables aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish (3 ½ to 4 quart volume) with olive oil.
- While the vegetables are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt generously. Add the pasta, stir to separate, and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions until not quite al dente (it should be slightly underdone, because it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain the pasta in a colander, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water. Return the drained pasta to the empty pot and set aside.
- Put the grated tomatoes in a medium bowl and stir in the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Toss the pasta with the roasted vegetables and the roasted mushrooms. Add 2 cups of the tomato-lemon mixture and gently toss to combine thoroughly. Add a splash or two of pasta cooking water if needed to loosen up the sauce.
- Spoon half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Spread half of the sliced mozzarella over the pasta. Spoon the remaining pasta on top, and cover with the remaining mozzarella. Spoon the remaining tomatoes over the mozzarella and sprinkle the Parmigiano on top.
- Cover the dish with greased foil (greased side down) and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the top is nicely browned and crisp around the edges. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- To grate the tomatoes, cut them in half, trim the stem, scoop out the seeds with your fingers, and grate them with the cut side against the large holes of a box grater until only the skin is left in your palm. I recommend grating them directly into a bowl to catch all the juices.
- If you have too much pasta and vegetables to fit in your baking dish, you can divide it up between a couple of baking dishes. Just fill the baking dish about halfway with pasta mixture, top with cheese, more pasta, etc. as the recipe instructs until you reach the top. Then repeat with the remaining ingredients in another (smaller) baking dish as needed.
- To make ahead, roast the mixed vegetables and mushrooms and prepare the grated tomato sauce up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate in sealed containers. Then when you are ready, boil the pasta, mix, assemble and bake. Although you could assemble the entire casserole in advance and refrigerate before baking, the results will be better if you do it this way and it still saves a bunch of time day of.
- Adapted from The Glorious Vegetables of Italy
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Comments
No Comments