Comfort food at its finest.

• Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies (with or without Chicken)
  
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• 2 red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 zucchini cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 summer (yellow) squash cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4-6 cremini mushrooms, halved
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 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
• 1/2 cup grated smoked mozzarella
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• YOU CAN SUBSTITUTE THE CHEESE WITH PRE-SHREDDED ITALIAN BLEND
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, 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 boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Drain. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheeses, 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 20-25 minutes.

I browned some cut up chicken in EVOO and added it in as well, made it stretch just a little farther.

This recipe is by Giada De Laurentiis, she is fantastic and I highly recommend her!