Ziti - Baked with Vegetables and Mushrooms

By lesliejanous

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chopped portobello, cremini, or button mushrooms
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 7 cups torn spinach (about 1/2 pound)
• 3 cups hot cooked ziti (about 2 1/4 cups uncooked short tube-shaped pasta)
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers, and sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in basil, salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Stir in pasta. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dollop with ricotta.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Note: To make ahead, assemble casserole as directed. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed.