Three Cheese Vegetable Mostaccioli

This Three Cheese Vegetable Mostaccili is loaded with veggies, whole wheat pasta and 3 types of cheese! Perfect meatless dinner for any night of the week!

Course Mains & Entrees

Cuisine American-Italian

Keyword baked, casserole, cheese, meatless, mostaccioli, pasta, vegetable, vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 235

Author Laurie McNamara

Ingredients

sea salt
8 ounces whole wheat mostaccioli noodles or penne
1 teaspoon olive oil
8 ounces cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
kosher salt
black pepper freshly ground
2 to 3 handfuls baby spinach
8 cups Garden Vegetable Ragu (or 1 full recipe)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
4 ounces sharp provelone shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325℉ (or 160℃) and bring a large pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling add in a tablespoon of sea salt and cook pasta 2 minutes shy of what is directed on the package. (see notes)
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add olive oil and heat on medium.
When hot, add in sliced mushrooms and season with a pinch of kosher salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 8 minutes or until softened, stirring often.
Next, add in spinach until just starting to wilt. Then pour in the garden vegetable ragu, stir and heat until warmed through.
Drain the partially cooked pasta and add to the pot with the sauce, stir to combine.
Spoon half of the vegetable/ pasta mixture into the prepared pan and top with 1/2 of the mozzrella and provelone cheese and sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan.
Add the remaining vegetable/pasta mixture and top with the last of the three cheeses.
Bake on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 40 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.

Notes

The times for this recipe was based on having the garden vegetable ragu already made. Allow for extra time if making it all in one day.

Also, if making the sauce and mostaccioli at once, sauté the mushrooms after the zucchini. Prepare the rest of thes recipe exactly the same, adding the spinach at the end, after the sauce has simmered for 40 to 60 minutes.

I suggest adding the pasta to the water once you've poured in the vegetable ragu to the skillet. A good rule of thumb: the sauce can always wait for the pasta, not the other way around otherwise the pasta will stick together.

Nutrition