This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Ever find yourself craving a hearty, comforting pasta dish that doesn’t leave you with a week’s worth of leftovers? This single serving Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables is your perfect answer. This baked pasta dish combines the robust flavors of roasted zucchini, red peppers, and onions with a blend of cheeses, all layered over perfectly cooked penne. Baked in a small baking dish, it’s a convenient size for a satisfying meal without excess.
Enjoy this scrumptious Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bake alongside a slice of warm, crusty French bread. Complement it with either a crunchy Caesar Salad or a vibrant Italian Chopped Salad. Then, round off your meal with a refreshingly sweet bowl of Mango Sorbet or indulge in a luxurious, creamy Tiramisu for dessert.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Baked Penne Recipe
- Versatile For Any Diet: This dish can please vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
- Simple: The recipe is easy to follow and requires minimal prep work.
- Flavorful: Each bite is a burst of flavors, from the roasted vegetables to the melted cheese.
- Doubling Magic: The recipe doubles well, making it perfect for larger gatherings.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Prepare it in advance and simply bake it when you’re ready to dine.
- Perfected Over Time: This single serving Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables is inspired by a stellar recipe from Giada de Laurentiis. It’s been my go-to for dinner parties and potlucks for years. I’ve tailored the ingredients to create this equally delicious, scaled-down version perfect for anyone cooking for one.
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Meatless Recipes
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this baked pasta recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Vegetables: This recipe features zucchini, red peppers, onions, and garlic, but it’s flexible. Feel free to swap in veggies like eggplant, or different colored bell peppers.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to for this dish, thanks to its robust flavor and high-quality nutrients. However, a lighter olive oil will work just fine if that’s what you have.
- Seasonings: Herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning, along with salt and black pepper, provide the ideal flavor profile.
- Pasta: While penne is my top choice, ziti or rigatoni are excellent alternatives. Tubular or ridged pasta shapes are best as they hold onto more sauce. If you have any pasta leftover from this recipe, consider using it in Pasta Primavera, Chicken Paprika, or an Italian Pasta Salad.
- Marinara sauce: A good quality store-bought marinara makes this recipe a breeze, but feel free to use your favorite red pasta sauce or even a homemade tomato sauce or pomodoro sauce.
- Cheese: The recipe calls for fontina, gruyère, and Parmesan, but don’t hesitate to experiment with smoked mozzarella, sharp cheddar, or gouda.
- Butter: A dab of salted butter is added before baking to elevate the dish’s richness.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I used them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the recipe box at the bottom of the post.
Recipe Variations
If you’re feeling adventurous or need to tweak the recipe for dietary reasons, here are some tailored options:
- Gluten-Free Variation: Use gluten-free pasta as a simple swap. Remember to adjust cooking times if necessary, as gluten-free pasta can vary.
- Vegan-Friendly: Substitute traditional cheeses with their vegan alternatives and use vegan butter as the topping. Opt for vegan-approved pasta too.
- Add Meat: Craving some extra protein? Add diced cooked chicken or crumbled Italian sausage for a more robust flavor profile.
- Spicy Baked Pasta: If you like it hot, a dash of red pepper flakes or a spicy version of marinara sauce can add that extra kick.
- Creamier Texture: Add a spoonful of ricotta cheese before baking to give your baked penne a creamy element that’s irresistibly good.
How To Make Baked Penne With Roasted Vegetables For One
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make this baked penne recipe. See the recipe below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Roast the vegetables: On a baking sheet, toss the diced zucchini, peppers, onions, and garlic with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tender.
- While the vegetables are roasting, make the pasta: Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes. Drain in a colander.
Pro Tip: Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure it is not completely cooked on the stove. Cook until the pasta is al dente – tender but firm and chewy when you bite into it.
- In a medium-sized bowl, toss the drained pasta with roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, fontina, and gruyère. Gently mix the ingredients together until all of the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the pasta and vegetables into a lightly buttered small baking dish. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and butter pieces.
Pro Tip: I use a 4×6-inch baking dish or a 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Bake until the top is golden and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Evenly Cut Veggies: Make sure to chop the vegetables in uniform sizes for consistent cooking.
- Pasta Choices: For a healthier spin, opt for whole wheat or brown rice penne. Ziti and rigatoni are also good substitutes that work well in this recipe.
- Pasta Doneness: Aim to cook the pasta just shy of al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven, so it’s best to drain it while it still has a slight bite.
- Protein Boost: Elevate the dish with additional protein by incorporating smoked sausage or crumbled cooked sausage.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this scaled-down baked pasta recipe, a 4×6-inch dish with a 24-square-inch base area is ideal.
Other suitable dish sizes include a 5×5-inch, 6×6-inch, or a 6-inch round dish.
These baking dishes can be viewed on our Store page.
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
Definitely! You can prep the casserole, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For freezing, let the pasta cool entirely, then wrap it in a double layer of foil before freezing. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as usual. Use containers that are safe for the freezer.
Yes, simply omit the Parmesan cheese or use a vegetarian substitute.
Certainly! To make a larger quantity, just double the ingredients and use a 6.5×6.5 inch baking dish or a 6×8 inch baking dish.
More Must-Try Single Serving Pasta Recipes
Looking to expand your repertoire of single serving pasta dishes? You’ve come to the right place! Below are a few of our tantalizing recipes, each perfectly portioned for one and teeming with flavor.
- Shrimp and Prosciutto Pasta: Elevate your pasta game with this sophisticated combo of shrimp and prosciutto. It’s a luxury in every bite.
- Mediterranean Pasta and Shrimp: A delightful fusion of shrimp, olives, and feta, bringing the Mediterranean flavors right to your table.
- Minestrone Soup: Packed with vegetables and pasta, this hearty soup makes a complete meal that’s nourishing and comforting.
- Buttered Noodles: Simple yet scrumptious. Buttered noodles are the ultimate comfort food, especially when time is of the essence.
- Mushroom Pasta: Earthy mushrooms give this pasta dish an umami kick that’s perfect for mushroom lovers.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
RELATED: Comfort Food Recipes For One
If you’ve tried this baked penne with roasted vegetables recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Baked Penne With Roasted Vegetables For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or use a 4×6-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced zucchini
- ½ cup diced red bell peppers
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried Italian herb mix or herbes de Provence
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup dried penne pasta
- ¾ cup marinara Sauce
- 1 ½ ounces fontina cheese -shredded
- 1 ounce gruyère cheese -shredded
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon salted butter -cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Roast the vegetables: On a baking sheet, toss the diced zucchini, peppers, onions, and garlic with olive oil, herbs, salt, and pepper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tender.
- While the vegetables are roasting, make the pasta: Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes. Drain in a colander.Note: Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure it is not completely cooked on the stove.
- In a medium-sized bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, fontina, and gruyère. Gently mix the ingredients together until all of the pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.
- Pour the pasta and vegetables into a lightly buttered 5×5-inch or 4×6-inch baking dish. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and butter pieces.
- Bake until the top is golden and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes.
Notes
- Evenly Cut Veggies: Make sure to chop the vegetables in uniform sizes for consistent cooking.
- Pasta Choices: For a healthier spin, opt for whole wheat or brown rice penne. Ziti and rigatoni are also good substitutes that work well in this recipe.
- Pasta Doneness: Aim to cook the pasta just shy of al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven, so it’s best to drain it while it still has a slight bite.
- Protein Boost: Elevate the dish with additional protein by incorporating smoked sausage or crumbled cooked sausage.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Sorry for a probably stupid question- should I not reduce oven temp when I put assembled pasta dish into the oven? Or fine at 450.
No question is a stupid question, especially when it comes to cooking. The oven temperature should remain the same at 450°F for this baked penne recipe. The high heat helps to get that nice, crispy edge and bubbly cheese that we all love in a baked pasta dish. Just make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t overcook.
Delicious and satisfying. I cleaned out the refrigerator and loaded the pasta with the roasted vegetables. Great for dinner and then leftovers for lunch the following day.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I can see why this would be popular as a guest meal. The flavors are amazing together. This will be a favorite meal for this solo diner for years to come! Thank you, Joanie!
This dish was easy to make and delicious.
I made this dish and it turned out to be delicious! I’ll certainly be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe.