Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This dish is a vegetarian version of baked penne, but it’s so good that you’ll never miss the meat. Roasting the vegetables maintains some of the crunch and brings out all the sweetness and great flavors. Oddly, I couldn't find smoked mozzarella at my grocery store this time, so I improvised with regular mozzarella and a few dashes of Liquid Smoke. In the end, this dish was super easy to throw together and was a big hit at dinner.

Source: Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables, Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cremini mushrooms, halved
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix or herbs de Provence
1 pound penne pasta

3 cups marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
½ cup grated smoked mozzarella
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus ⅓ cup for topping
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, peas, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with the remaining ⅓ cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.