Creamy Asiago Baked Pasta with Roasted Vegetables
Baked pasta is at its best when every component has a purpose: pasta that stays firm, vegetables with plenty of roasted flavor, and a sauce rich enough to bring everything together without becoming overly heavy. This Creamy Asiago Baked Pasta with Roasted Vegetables uses Il Borgo Veneto Pasta Sauce with Asiago as its flavorful base, making it easy to create a satisfying Italian pasta bake without preparing a cheese sauce from scratch.
Roasting the vegetables separately is an important step. It develops their flavor while removing excess moisture, helping the finished pasta stay creamy rather than watery.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 12 oz penne, rigatoni, or another short pasta
- 1 jar Il Borgo Veneto Pasta Sauce With Asiago
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1½ cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼–½ cup reserved pasta water, as needed
- Fresh basil or parsley for serving
Roast the Vegetables
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Toss the zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and broccoli with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet so the vegetables roast rather than steam.
Roast for 18–22 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender with lightly browned edges.
Prepare the Pasta
While the vegetables roast, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for approximately 2 minutes less than the package directions so it remains firm enough to finish cooking in the oven.
Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of pasta water.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Assemble the Pasta Bake
Combine the drained pasta and roasted vegetables in a large bowl. Add the Il Borgo Veneto Pasta Sauce and toss until everything is evenly coated.
If the sauce feels too thick to comfortably coat the pasta, add reserved pasta water a tablespoon or two at a time. This loosens the sauce without diluting its Asiago flavor.
Fold in half of the Parmesan, then transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 18–22 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges and the cheese melts. For a lightly browned finish, broil for an additional 1–2 minutes.
Let the creamy Asiago baked pasta rest for about five minutes before serving. Finish with fresh basil or parsley.
Using a prepared Asiago sauce keeps this roasted vegetable pasta approachable for a weeknight while still delivering the rich, savory flavor you want from an Italian pasta bake. The roasted vegetables add sweetness, texture, and freshness, creating an easy Italian dinner that feels complete without requiring a long list of ingredients.
