Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This is the first recipe that I tried that started my love of cooking. I saw this recipe on Giada at Home and thought, "this looks pretty easy." It was about this time last year, and there was an abundance of zucchini and squash at the store, so it was a great meal to make. I have modified it slightly, so if you want to see the original recipe, you can find it here.

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

-- 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips

-- 1/4 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 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

-- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 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, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 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, cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 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 1/3 cup Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 25 minutes.

By the way, this makes a lot, so I typically halve this recipe and it makes about 4 or 5 small servings which is what I typically eat. If you are making for a large family, I would suggest making the recipe as it is above.