Zucchini & Lemon Pasta Bake

gluten free, dairy free

• Ingredients

  Oven-Roasted Vegetables:

  • 2 bell peppers cut into thin, 1-inch-long slices

  • 2 zucchini squash cut in half and then into ½-inch thick slices

  • 2 summer squash cut in half and then into ½-inch thick slices

  • 1 sweet onion cut into thin, 1-inch-long slices

  • 6 oz. button mushrooms roughly chopped

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 1 Tbsp. Italian seasonings dried, or a mix of dried oregano and basil

  • lemon

  • 1 ½ tsp. salt

  • ½ tsp. pepper

  Pasta Bake:

  • 12 ounces rotini pasta* gluten-free, cooked 1-2 minutes less than package directions

  • 24 ounces spaghetti sauce

  • 8 ounces mozzarella** shredded

  • ½ cup bread crumbs gluten-free

  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese** grated

  • ½ tsp. garlic powder

  • 1 tsp. Italian seasonings dried, or a mix of dried oregano and basil

  • 2 Tbsp. butter** cut into 8 cubes

  Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Place veggies on one large, or two medium-sized, baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over veggies and sprinkle with seasonings, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

  3. Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, or until veggies are roasted.

  4. Spray a deep 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or lasagna pan, with non-stick cooking spray or coat with olive oil. Add cooked pasta, spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, and roasted vegetables. Toss to combine.

  5. In a small bowl combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings. Whisk to combine.

  6. Sprinkle pasta bake with bread crumb mixture. Spread 8 cubes of butter out evenly on the top of the bread crumbs.

  7. Cover pan with aluminum foil and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake pasta for 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and broil on High for an additional 2-3 minutes.

  8. Let pasta bake sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Sauce:

• 1 cup sweet onion finely diced

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil

• 4 cloves garlic crushed

• 1.75 pounds Roma tomatoes finely diced

• 1 tsp. salt plus more to taste

• ¼ tsp. white pepper

• ¼ cup basil finely chopped

Instructions

1. In a large skillet or saucepan combine onions and oil. Saute over medium-low heat for 3 minutes.

2. Add garlic and saute for an additional 1 minute.

3. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes, or until tomatoes have cooked down.

4. Add basil and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds, then add the zucchini and the mushrooms. Saute, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and most of their liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Meanwhile, cook the pasta for about 2 minutes less than indicated on the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.

• Pour the marinara sauce over the drained pasta. Add the cooked vegetables, then toss well to combine the pasta, sauce, and vegetables. (There is no need to heat the marinara sauce first.)

• Transfer half of the pasta mixture to a casserole dish. Top with half the vegan cheese. Add the rest of the pasta mixture then top with the remaining vegan cheese.

• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake, uncovered, for 15 more minutes or until heated through and the vegan cheese is melted.

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegan butter such as Smart Balance
4 tablespoons brown rice flour
2 1/2 cups organic nut milk* see notes
1/4 cup gluten-free nutritional yeast* see notes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon mild rice vinegar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon GF Dijon mustard, optional