Vegetable Baked Ziti

This was a huge hit at our house last night, and super easy to make. In keeping with our weekly grocery budget, we try to have at least 2 or 3 meatless meals each week. This is one that turned out great...

In a large pot, saute 4-5 carrots, peeled and diced, in olive oil. 5 minutes later, add one bag of frozen broccoli florets and cover. 5 minutes later, uncover and add 1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced. 5 minutes later, add a couple of cloves of minced garlic, one large (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and oregano, basil, and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cook up a box of whole wheat penne according to package directions. Drain the pasta a minute or so shy of being done, as it will continue to cook in the sauce. Add the drained pasta to the tomato and vegetable sauce, mix together, and transfer to a large baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. As always, if you are prepping this meal during naptime, you can just cut the oven off at 25 or 30 minutes and leave the casserole in there until you are ready to eat!


Enjoy!