Veggie Baked Penne

🥘 Ingredients

• black pepper
  1 tsp
• butter
  1 tbsp
• chili flakes
  1 tsp
• italian seasoning
  1 tsp
• marinara sauce
  1 c
• mozzarella cheese
  1 c
• olive oil
  2 tbsp
• penne pasta
  7 oz
• ricotta cheese
  ½ cup
• roma tomato
  1 medium
• salt
  1 tsp
• sugar
  1 tsp
• water
  ¼ cup
• yellow onion
  1 medium
• zucchini
  1 medium

🍳 Cookware

• medium pot
• large pan
• medium bowl
• baking dish
• aluminum foil

1. 

   1

   zucchini yellow onion roma tomato penne pasta marinara sauce italian seasoning ricotta cheese mozzarella cheese chili flakes olive oil sugar butter water salt black pepper

   zucchini: 1 medium, yellow onion: 1 medium, roma tomato: 1 medium, penne pasta: 7 oz, marinara sauce: 1 c, italian seasoning: 1 tsp, ricotta cheese: ½ cup, mozzarella cheese: 1 c, chili flakes: 1 tsp, olive oil: 2 tbsp, sugar: 1 tsp, butter: 1 tbsp, water: ¼ cup, salt: 1 tsp, black pepper: 1 tsp
2. 

   2

   Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450°F. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Trim zucchini, then grate on the largest holes of a box grater. Halve, peel, and dice half the yellow onion. Finely dice roma tomato.
3. 

   3

   Once water is boiling, add penne pasta to pot. Cook until almost al dente ⏱️ 8 minutes . Drain and set aside. Reserve empty pot for later use.
4. 

   4

   Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, tomato, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened ⏱️ 5 minutes . Stir in marinara sauce, grated zucchini, half the italian seasoning, water, sugar, and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook ⏱️ 3 minutes more, then turn off heat.
5. 

   5

   While sauce simmers, in a medium bowl , combine ricotta cheese, remaining italian seasoning, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper.
6. 

   6

   Add cooked penne, sauce, and butter to the reserved pot. Season with salt and pepper; stir to thoroughly combine. Spread out half the pasta mixture in an 8x8-inch baking dish . Dollop the mixture with seasoned ricotta. Top with remaining pasta mixture, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
7. 7

   Cover baking dish with aluminum foil . Bake on top rack ⏱️ 10 minutes . Remove from oven and discard foil. Heat broiler to high. Broil until cheese is lightly browned ⏱️ 4 minutes . Let cool slightly, then top with chili flakes if desired. Divide pasta between plates and serve.