Tender pasta tangled up with caramelized onions and spinach, sauced with tomatoes, and baked into a perfection of cheesy comfort! Even though I can’t wait for summer, I’m still reveling in comfort food while it’s still chilly. There’s nothing quite like all the yummy things baked together into deliciousness. And… when it involves molten cheese, you can always count me in. I’ve added all sorts of things to this pasta, but in the end, I went with my original recipe in its simplicity. That’s not to say you can’t go a little wild with this recipe though. It’s great with roasted delicata or butternut squash, browned hot Italian sausage, or any of the different herb suggestions as well. You can also easily change up the flavors by using a different pasta sauce as well.
Make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Prep the onions and get them caramelizing in a large skillet. They take at least 20 minutes to get that perfect golden browned flavor and you can prep everything else while they cook! To prepare the onions, cut off both ends and peel the outer layer. Next lay each onion half flat side down on the cutting board – then cut across the rounded top to create 1/4″ half-moon slices. Step 2: Caramelize the onions in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until they’re golden browned and softened, about 20 minutes. Step 3: When the onions are done, add the chopped rosemary and mushrooms to the pan. Cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until the mushrooms are partially softened. Steps 4 & 5: In the meantime, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until it is softened but with a fair bit of bite in it. This is about 4 minutes less than the usual cooking time, (it finishes cooking in the oven). Next, add the pasta sauce to the pan with the veggies, and bring it to a simmer. Step 6 & 7: Add the roughly chopped spinach to the pasta sauce mixture. Mix it in the best you can and remove it from the heat. Don’t worry about fully cooking the spinach, it will finish in the oven. Toss the freshly cooked pasta together with the tomato sauce mixture and layer it into a deep dish baking dish. Steps 8 & 9: I like to add about 1/3 of the fresh mozzarella right into the pasta mixture – that way there are cheesy pockets in the middle of the pasta bake! Then top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella. Place the pasta dish in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and browning and the pasta bake is bubbling. Serve immediately! I really hope you enjoy this easy-to-make Vegetable Pasta Bake! And if you do get a chance to make this, I hope you’ll leave me a comment/rating below. I always love hearing from you here!
