Zucchini and Rigatoni Baked Pasta
The perfect mid week family dinner, a little like lasagne but without the fuss. Hide as many veggies in there as you dare! All delicious.
This easy dinner can be on the table in the time it takes to bath the kids. If you have a batch of Marinara Sauce (Basic Pasta Sauce) in your fridge at all times that is. I love that sauce recipe so much, it is a real family friendly staple, mum helper extraordinare.
Cook the pasta, fry up the beef mince, toss everything together and hide as many veggies in there as you dare. (Eggplant and pumpkin are amazing in this one!)
It is easier than lasagne with the same basic flavour profile but none of the fuss. (You're welcome World!)
Check out some of these other recipes using our star ingredient!
Need
- 500 Grams rigatoni short pasta, cooked
- 1/2 Batch Marinara Sauce ready to go Recipe
- 500 Grams ground beef mince
- 1 zucchini, cut into rounds
- 1 capsicum/bell pepper yellow, diced
- 250 Grams Fresh Ricotta Cheese or store bought smooth ricotta Recipe
- 150 Grams mozzarella cheese in pieces
- 2 Teaspoons dried oregano to garnish
- basil leaves to garnish
Do
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C. You will need a big lasagne sized baking dish for this recipe.
- 2
Cook the pasta to al dente as per package instructions. Drain and place into the baking dish, with a little of the pasta water. Add the Marinara Sauce and coat the pasta well.
- 3
Heat a non stick frying pan to a reasonably high heat and fry off the ground beef mince until fragrant and starting to brown. Add to the pasta and stir through.
- 4
Add the veggies and make sure they are coated with the sauce as well.
- 5
Top with the ricotta in small amounts across the dish. Add the pieces of mozzarella in between to cover the dish with cheese.
- 6
Bake for 40 minutes. Garnish with dried oregano (or Italian herb mix) and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately.
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of eight, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
