This easy and healthy Fresh Vegetable Pasta Bake is a great way to use up all those vegetables from your garden. It feeds a crowd and tastes amazing! Perfect meatless dinner for a summer night. Originally published July 23, 2015.
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You want to know the best way to get killer tomatoes from your garden? Go on vacation for 3 and 1/2 weeks and ask your green-thumb neighbor to water for you. It’s pretty much a no-fail situation.
I guess I shouldn’t be giving the neighbors all the credit, because Eric has been in charge of our garden this summer, and it’s his baby. He comes home every day from work and dutifully waters the plants with the kids. He even taught Charlotte to do it by herself. It’s just kind of funny leaving on vacation and then coming home to HUGE lush plants that are dropping tomatoes like it’s hot.
Also, can we talk about my lack of faith? I came home and, even after seeing the plants, bought 8-10 romas at the grocery store out of habit. They are still hanging out somewhere in my veggie drawer. Oooops.
I love this fresh vegetable pasta bake
Guess I have another excuse to make this pasta bake again! I was looking up vegetarian casserole recipes that I could freeze for a friend I was making dinner for, and stumbled across this gem. It’s easy, meatless, and packed with tons of summer veggies that you may or may not have a million of right now. A garden tomato is always best, but you can use store-bought, no problem. I used broccoli, but I’ve also tried it with raw zucchini, so if you have a ton of that right now, this is a perfect way to use it up.
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“I made this for dinner, and both my picky husband and toddler loved it! Thanks for the recipe.” – Stephanie
Key ingredients
- Fresh mozzarella. I almost used regular ol’ mozzarella for the top, because using fresh mozzarella and then baking it seems like a waste. But it was SO good! I want to try it on the next lasagna I make. Yum.
- Use any kind of tomatoes you like (all regular or all cherry). I just used what I had on hand.
- For the broccoli, you can use fresh or frozen florets. If you are using frozen, make sure to thaw them first. You can also swap broccoli for zucchini. Whatever you prefer.
How to make this fresh vegetable pasta bake
Grab your biggest mixing bowl and stir together the cottage cheese, eggs, lemon juice, and Parm. Then chop up your broccoli into bite-sized florets and toss them into some boiling water. Cover the pot right away and cook for just 3 minutes. Seriously, time it. You want them to be bright green and crisp-tender.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the broccoli straight into the cottage cheese mixture. Don´t toss the broccoli water! Use it to cook the pasta to al dente, then add it to the bowl along with the broccoli.
Now it’s time to throw in all the good stuff: the chopped tomato, most of the halved cherry tomatoes (save about a cup for the top), the onion, garlic, white beans, basil, and some shredded mozzarella. Give everything a really good stir. (If raw onion and garlic aren’t your thing, sauté them for a few minutes first, as they won’t fully soften in the oven.)
Dump it all into a casserole dish and top with more cherry tomatoes and even more fresh mozzarella and Parm. A generous drizzle of olive oil over the top won’t hurt anyone, IMO.
Bake until the cheese is melty and beautifully golden. As soon as it comes out of the oven, shower the whole thing with more fresh basil.
What to serve with this pasta bake
Since this pasta bake is already loaded with pasta, cheese, broccoli, tomatoes, and white beans, I’d keep the sides simple and fresh. You want something that cuts through all that creamy, cheesy goodness.
- Lemon Arugula Salad >> probably my favorite salad. It goes with everything.
- The Best Garlic Butter Bread >> I never say no to a side of garlic bread
- Quick and Easy French Bread Recipe >> you’re less than an hour away from crusty homemade French bread
- Lemon Almond Green Beans >> bonus points if the green beans come from your own garden!
How to store leftovers
This pasta bake makes fantastic leftovers! Cover the casserole tightly or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
How to reheat leftovers
To reheat, microwave individual portions until hot, or warm larger amounts in a 350-degree F oven, covered with foil, until heated through. If it looks a little dry, add a splash of milk before reheating to bring back some of that creamy goodness.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yes! Let it cool completely, then wrap the whole dish (or individual portions) tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, or bake straight from frozen, covered with foil, adding extra time as needed until it’s hot all the way through.
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Fresh Vegetable Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cottage cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound broccoli, 2 crowns (or you can use frozen florets. Thaw them first.)*
- 12 ounces rotini pasta, I used the multicolored kind
- 1 large tomato, chopped**
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, divided
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic , minced
- 15 ounces white beans, 1 can, drained
- 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 8 ounces mozzarella, fresh, chopped
- 1/4 cup Parmesan
- olive oil
- 1/4 cup basil leaves, fresh, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a very large bowl, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, lemon juice, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a 3-quart pot. Add about a tablespoon of salt.
- While it’s heating up, cut your broccoli into similar-sized florets.
- When the water is boiling, add the broccoli then immediately cover with a lid. Keep the heat on high. Set a timer for 3 minutes, then use a slotted spoon (don’t drain!) to remove the broccoli to the bowl with the cottage cheese.
- Bring the remaining water back up to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain in a colander, then add the noodles to the bowl and stir.
- Add the chopped tomato to the bowl. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half, and reserve about a cup for the top of the casserole. Throw the rest in the bowl.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic to the bowl. If you don’t love raw onions/garlic, you can saute them in a little oil for a few minutes before adding them to the bowl. They won’t become completely cooked in the oven, so be aware.
- Add the white beans, 1/2 cup basil, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Stir well.
- Grease a deep 9×13 inch casserole dish and preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Pour the mixture into the dish. Top with the remaining cherry tomato halves. Sprinkle with the chopped fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with 1/4 up Parmesan. Drizzle the dish with a bit of olive oil, just a tablespoon or 2.
- Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown. When it’s done baking, immediately sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Serves a crowd!
Notes
**Use any kind of tomatoes you like (all regular or all cherry). I just used what I had on hand. Source: adapted from The Kitchn
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This is a really flavorful casserole, makes a lot, perfect for end of the summer.
This sounds delicious, Karen! :)
I made this for dinner and both my picky husband and toddler loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
Woohoo! Glad you all liked it Stephanie! Thanks for coming back to comment!
What a beautiful casserole! So summery! It looks delicious.
This casserole looks divine, Karen! Love the colours and all the summer veggies packed into the dish! Perfect dinner recipe!
What an awesome looking casserole and meatless!!! What a great way to use up all those yummy veggies. It’s great you have an awesome neighbor to help take care of your garden! Could you send them my way cuz I need some help in that department!! ;)