Name: Gluten Free Pasta Bake
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients: Gluten Free Pasta Shells: 8 ounces; Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 1 Tablespoon; Onion: 0.5 cup chopped; Garlic Cloves: 3 minced; Bell Peppers: 2; Kale: 7 leaves; Crushed Tomatoes: 15 ounce can; Salt: 2 teaspoons; Ground Black Pepper: 1 teaspoon; Cheddar Cheese: 0.3 cup, grated (or more); Parmesan Cheese: 0.25 cup, grated; Parsley: 1 tablespoon, chopped

Ingredients

8 ounces Gluten Free Pasta Shells

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

0.5 cup chopped Onion

3 minced Garlic Cloves

2 Bell Peppers

7 leaves Kale

15 ounce can Crushed Tomatoes

2 teaspoons Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

0.3 cup, grated (or more) Cheddar Cheese

0.25 cup, grated Parmesan Cheese

1 tablespoon, chopped Parsley

Directions

Gluten free pasta bake with vegetables, red sauce and cheese then baked to perfection!

When creating recipes I often refer back to a childhood food memory.

For this pasta bake, it’s my husband’s mom’s infamous baked ziti. It’s so dang good!

Sometimes the simple recipes are the best. My mother-in-law uses pasta, minced aromatics, ground meat and cheese for her pasta bake.

So naturally, I drew inspiration from her recipe to create this gluten-free and vegetarian version.

Just like my mother-in-law, I am using bell pepper in this recipe.

I prefer to chop my vegetables for this dish for texture as we are skipping the meat.

After prepping the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and kale, the sauce is created.

Yes, I am also adding kale for added color and nutrition!

The veggies are sautéed in olive oil, seasoned with salt and black pepper then crushed tomatoes are added for that saucy vibe.

In this Gluten free pasta bake, I am using pasta shells made with quinoa.

Shells are a great pasta shape for this recipe as it holds on to the sauce and vegetables well!

After the cooked pasta and sauce is combined, it is transferred to a baking sheet and then covered in two types of cheese!

Cheddar and parmesan and a pair made in cheese heaven!

Both are nutty, salty and very cheesy!

This pasta bake comes out golden, bubbly and so delicious.

And of course because this is a #foodbyjonister recipe, we are adding more green on top in the form of parsley!

Steps

1 Done	Prepare Your Vegetables First, preheat your oven to 425°F. Next, peel and chop your onion, finely mince your garlic. Wash and chop the bell peppers and wash, de-stem and chop the kale.
2 Done	Cook The Vegetables Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil then add the chopped onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Next, lower your heat to medium and add the garlic and bell pepper then season with salt & pepper. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped kale and cook until the kale is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add the crushed tomatoes, stir and cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat then give it a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Move the sauce off the heat and cover the skillet.
3 Done	Cook The Pasta Cook your gluten-free pasta 2 minutes less than the package instructions say. You want the pasta to still have a bite and it will soften a bit more later on in the oven. Next, drain the pasta and add it to the vegetable sauce and stir to combine.
4 Done	Bake Transfer the pasta and sauce mixture into an oven safe dish the top with shredded cheddar and parmesan cheese. Bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheesy is melted and bubbly. To serve, add some chopped parsley if desired.