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Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies (Gluten-Free Friendly)

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Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies – This cozy baked ziti is loaded with vegetables and tastes amazing. The perfect meatless family dinner! (Gluten-Free + Vegan-Friendly)

White baking dish full of baked penne with roasted veggies

I’ve been craving a rainy day lately. Since it hardly ever rains here in the desert, and we’re having one of the hottest/driest years on record (thanks for nothing global warming!), a rainy day feels like a cozy gift.

I love hearing the rain drizzling outside, putting on a nostalgic movie (You’ve Got Mail forever!) or a soft playlist, and taking to my kitchen to mix up a batch of cookies, stir up some soup, or bake a comforting all-in-one meal like this Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies.

This vegetarian baked penne dish has been a long-time favorite at our house, and even though my kids still pick around the veggies, I don’t stop making it since the cozy comforting pasta dish tastes amazing. *Especially* on a cold or rainy day. It’s the perfect kind of meatless dinner–delicious, satisfying, and packed with vegetables.

Here’s what you need to get started on this cozy baked penne with roasted veggies…

Overhead view of a pan of baked penne with roasted veggies before it goes into the oven
Overhead view of a pan of baked penne with roasted veggies fresh from the oven

HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO MY BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGGIES:

  • PASTA (MINE’S GLUTEN-FREE!) I started making this dish back when I was a newlywed (back in 2008!), so I know that it works with both traditional pasta and gluten-free pasta. These days, we always use brown rice gluten-free penne for this dish.
  • MARINARA SAUCE. To keep things simple, I usually use a store-bought jar of marinara sauce. You can use any red pasta sauce your family enjoys. It’ll just add some delicious flavor and tie everything together.
  • ROASTED VEGGIES. The star of the show here is a combination of simply roasted veggies. I typically use two colors of bell pepper, some onion, and mushrooms. The combination is hearty and satisfying without feeling heavy. (See the next section for other veggie ideas!)
  • FRESH + FROZEN VEGGIES. To go with our roasted veggies, I like adding fresh spinach (it’ll wilt in the oven) and some frozen peas for another little pop of green. The combination is really lovely!
  • A LITTLE CHEESE OR VEGAN CHEESE. Then, so keep this extra cozy, I top my baked penne and roasted vegetables with some mozzarella (in our pre-dairy-free days) or dairy-free mozzarella. If you’re dairy-free, our favorite DF mozzarella is Daiya Cutting Board Mozzarella. (We don’t like their other varieties of vegan mozzarella, JUST the cutting board variety!)
Overhead view of a spoon scooping out a serving of gluten free baked penne with roasted veggies
Close up view of a spoon scooping out a serving of baked penne with roasted veggies from the pan

4 WAYS TO CHANGE UP THIS BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES:

MIX UP THE VEGGIES. You can absolutely play with the veggies here. Zucchini or summer squash is tasty, and we’ve added carrots a few times. Feel free to use whatever needs to be used up in your crisper drawer!

TRY IT WITH SAUSAGE OR MEAT. Naturally, this is only a good option if you eat meat! We sometimes add cooked crumbled sausage to our baked penne to fill it out a little more. But you can certainly make this using a meat sauce instead of marinara, or try adding in your favorite sliced or cooked ground sausage.

ADD A LITTLE KICK. To give this baked penne some kick, try adding a hefty pinch of red pepper flakes or experimenting with using a spicy marinara sauce instead. It can be so tasty with a little zing!

STIR IN SOME FRESH HERBS. Another way to add a layer of flavor is by mixing in a little fresh basil. 2-3 Tbsp. goes a long way in this dish, or you can use 1-2 Tbsp. on top as a garnish after it comes out of the oven. It’s up to you!

Setting down a bowl of gluten free baked penne with roasted veggies

FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGGIES:

UNDERCOOK YOUR PASTA! Please believe me when I tell you to undercook the pasta. Undercooking helps prevent your pasta from turning mushy when baked. You want to pull it out of the pot and drain it when there’s still a little bite left since it will continue to cook in the sauce in the oven. (Just subtract 1-2 minutes from the boiling time and you should be good to go!)

WHAT’S THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE PASTA TO USE FOR THIS? Our favorite gluten-free penne is Jovial’s brown rice penne. It has a great texture and a nice neutral flavor. Plus there are 5g of protein per 2oz serving! Our second favorite brand is Tinkyada.

CAN I MAKE THIS AS A FREEZER MEAL? You can totally turn your baked penne into a freezer meal. You can even divide the dish in half–cook half now, and half later! To freeze it, I recommend using a flexible aluminum baking tray since they fair better in the freezer and oven than using your ceramic or metal pans. Prepare as directed, slightly undercooking the pasta, mixing with the sauce and veggies, and sprinkling with cheese. Once it’s prepped you’ll cover it with foil and you can pop it in the freezer for about 2 months. To bake from frozen, simply put in the oven and add 5-10 minutes to the baking time. If you’re not using a flexible baking pan, put it in a COLD oven rather than a preheated one to prevent your pans from cracking or warping.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH BAKED PENNE WITH ROASTED VEGGIES. I love that there are already some veggies mixed into this baked penne recipe, so you can keep things simple on the side. Feel free to go with pasta stand-bys, like garlic bread or rolls, green salad, or some fresh fruit.

A white bowl of baked penne with roasted veggies

CRAVING MORE? YOU MIGHT LIKE:

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White baking dish full of baked penne with roasted veggies

Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies (Gluten-Free Friendly)


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: About 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Generous Servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies – This cozy vegetarian baked penne is loaded with vegetables and tastes amazing. The perfect meatless family dinner! (Gluten-Free + Vegan-Friendly)


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced or cut into 1” pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced or cut into 1” pieces
  • 1 small onion, sliced or cut into 1” pieces
  • 8 oz. mushrooms, sliced or quartered.
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil.
  • 12 oz. penne pasta (use brown rice pasta for gluten-free)
  • 3 cups marinara sauce or pasta sauce
  • 2 cups baby spinach
  • 3/4 cup frozen peas (don’t thaw)
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese or dairy-free mozzarella-style cheese
  • salt + pepper + red pepper flakes to taste
  • Optional: red pepper flakes, fresh basil, or parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place bell peppers, onion, and mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and stir a bit to coat. Sprinkle with a little salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired). 
  3. Place pan in the oven and roast veggies about 20-25 minutes, or till veggies are softened.
  4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, removing from the water 1-2 minutes early (this will help prevent over-cooking the pasta).
  5. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir in spinach and pasta sauce.
  6. When the veggies are done cooking, stir in the roasted vegetables. Stir in frozen peas.
  7. Transfer the pasta and veggies mixture to a 9×13″ (3-quart) baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella or vegan mozzarella (as desired) on top of the pasta and veggies mixture and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and bubbly. 
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

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3 Comments

  1. I made this a couple of weeks ago for my picky Vegetarian husband and he absolutely loved it. Will definitely make again (and again).

  2. This was dinner last night and made a fabulous lunch today. I am kind of obsessed with the roasted mushrooms and peppers. I want to make them alone and add them to omelets! I added a bit of parmesan with the mozzarella and it was all easy and delicious.






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