Roasted Vegetable Ziti Bake

SUBMITTED BY: Helen Carpenter

"This fresh-tasting and well-seasoned entree is a real crowd-pleaser. 'I combine roasted vegetables, zesty sauce and just the right touch of melted cheese to create this pasta dish that's deliciously filling,' says Helen Carpenter from her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico"

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PREP TIME	40 Min
COOK TIME	40 Min
READY IN	1 Hr 20 Min

SERVINGS

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Servings
USMETRIC

INGREDIENTS

1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium yellow sweet peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (16 ounce) package ziti or other small tube pasta
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray, combine the eggplant, red onion and yellow peppers. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with salt. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 35-45 minutes or until edges of peppers begin to brown, stirring every 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, saute onions in oil until tender. Add garlic, red pepper flakes and fennel; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt, pepper, sugar and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
In two greased 2-qt. baking dishes, spread 1/2 cup sauce each. In each dish, layer a fourth of the pasta, a fourth of the roasted vegetables and 1/2 cup sauce. Top with 2 cups spinach and 1/2 cup sauce. Top with remaining roasted vegetables, pasta and sauce.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

FOOTNOTE

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (1 cup) equals 230 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 497 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat.