I love giving you meals that allow you to dabble in vegetarianism, so you can get some of those benefits, even if it’s no how you want to change your whole diet. This meal is the perfect example. It is vegetarian, but would be loved by even the most avid meat eater.
Make the pasta. Boil the noodles for two minutes less than the time stated on the box. Drain the pasta and set aside.Sauté the vegetables. In a large skillet, cook the onion, carrots, zucchini, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes for two minutes. Add in the mushrooms and cook until everything is soft and tender.Make the sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to the vegetables, stirring to combine. Stir in the basil and oregano and bring the sauce to a boil.Finish the sauce. Once the sauce has simmered, add the baby spinach, allowing it to wilt.Put it all together. Combine the noodles and the sauce in the casserole dish. Stir in one cup of cheese. Then stir in a second cup. Stirring it in two groups will prevent it from melting too quickly, which will allow it to be evenly distributed throughout the casserole.Bake the casserole. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbly and begins to brown.
If you decide to leave out a vegetable, I recommend replacing it with a different vegetable or more of another.
Use plenty of water. Pasta expands while it cooks, so be sure to have plenty of water in your pot. A pound of pasta needs four to six quarts of water.Bring it to a roaring boil. You want to see big bubbles before you add your dry noodles. Set a timer. Because this casserole will be baked, we want to slightly undercook the pasta initially so that it doesn’t overcook in the oven. Once you add the dry noodles to the boiling water, set a timer for two minutes less than what the package recommends.
We intentionally add the cheese in two steps so that it doesn’t melt too quickly and so that it is evenly distributed with the other ingredients. Add the first cup of cheese, stir to combine, then add the second cup and stir.
Freezing
If you want to freeze this casserole, follow the recipe up to the point of putting it in the baking dish. I recommend using a disposable or aluminum baking dish, as glass and ceramic can shatter in a hot oven when they are cold. Cover the dish tightly with foil and then three times with plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to three months. When you are ready to bake it, remove the plastic wrap and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and browning.
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