Individual Baked Pastas

We made Individual Baked Pastas the other night and boy did that meal hit the spot! It has been cold here in Salt Lake City...so I am craving comfort foods and pasta does it for me!

I made a chunky vegetable sauce to go with our whole wheat pasta. We used rigatoni this time around. I layered the sauce with the cooked pasta and some cheese! It was that easy.

Since we baked them in individual dishes it didn't take long at all! And we each got our own little dish! It was two meals for me, but only one for Joshua:) We made four dishes so we could have leftovers too! It was great for lunch the next day.

This is a great meal for busy weeknights or if you are just craving good classic comfort food! And don't forget it is healthy too! Just go light on the cheese:)

Individual Baked Pasta Dishes

Whole wheat rigatoni pasta (we used about half of a 1 pound bag)

2 zucchini squash, chopped

1 eggplant, sliced
1 T. olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves, garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper, a dash
Fennel seeds, dash
2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, low sodium
Roasted peppers, about 1/2 cup, chopped (we had some in the freezer)
Dried basil, a couple dashes
Italian seasoning, a couple dashes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mozzarella cheese, shredded-use what you like, but I went light on the cheese!
Parmesan cheese-just a bit for a kick. we used the good stuff so a little went a long way!

Directions:
1. Boil the whole wheat pasta in salted water. Cook until al dente. You don't want it all the way done because it will finish in the oven. 2. Place the zucchini and eggplant on a greased cookie sheet. Add salt and pepper. Put under the broiler for about 5-7 minutes, or until the veggies are tender. 3. Chop up the eggplant. 4. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion. Then add garlic, red pepper, and fennel. Stir in roasted peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Cook until soft. 5. Add in diced tomatoes, basil, Italian seasoning, and salt/pepper. 6. Simmer for 10 minutes. 7. Spray your dishes. Put some sauce on the bottom and then add some pasta. Add another layer of sauce, then some cheese, and then more pasta, and sauce. 8. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until bubbly. 9. Garnish with fresh basil if you wish.