When I think of August, I think of how close it is to Fall. My children are getting ready to go back to school and it seems like everyone’s minds have shifted into the season of Fall. My garden however, is still producing some great tasting vegetables! I may not be getting the quantity I was a month ago, but we are still eating fresh vegetables from our garden every day.
I hate anything from the garden to go to waste. Sometimes I will have part of a pepper, or chopped zucchini left over in my refrigerator. It may not be enough to make a whole meal with one specific vegetable, but all of the left over vegetables from other things I’ve made during the week are perfect for this cheesy and delicious pasta meal!
This cheesy Garden Vegetable Rigatoni is bursting with fresh, homegrown, veggie flavor! Freshly picked red and green peppers, onions, zucchini, broccoli and tomatoes are lightly sauteed in olive oil and garlic, simmered in your favorite tomato sauce, tossed with rigatoni, topped with a generous amount of Mozzarella cheese and baked. Vegetables never tasted so good!
My oldest son absolutely loves vegetables. He can’t wait for things to ripen in the garden and is always snacking on raw peppers, beans or anything else that’s ripe for the picking. He was so excited about this meal. He raved about it and said it was like a vegetable burst in your mouth! I love that my little taste tester appreciates the goodness of our homegrown foods. 🙂
This meal is simple to make and serves a large family. We even had a little left over, so my husband and I had it for dinner the next evening with a glass of wine. You can even serve this with a fresh loaf of crusty bread and a side salad if you want to get in even more vegetables. With Back to School just right around the corner, put this easy, tasty meal on your family’s menu!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente and drained
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1/2 green pepper, sliced
- large handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 small head of broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup sliced or chopped zucchini
- 1 (24 oz.) jar of your favorite tomato sauce or homemade
- 2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil to garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a dutch oven, saute the vegetables in olive oil.
- I like to add the garlic last, so it does not burn.
- After the vegetables are softened, turn the heat to simmer and add the tomato sauce.
- Stir and cover. Let simmer 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta and drain.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and vegetable mixture, add half of the cheese and stir.
- Cover the top of the pasta with remaining cheese, cover and bake 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with fresh bread.
- Serves 6 generously.
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This dish looks so flavourful and simple! Great for weeknights!
Julia recently posted…12 Fresh Food Pairings for a More Appealing Lunch
Thanks Julia!
Thanks so much! Love the new photo!